The Call of the Sea
by Melissy123
Summary: This story follows the books but with a twist. Mags had a daughter. She too had been thrown into the Hunger Games and emerged a victor, and it was she that volunteered for Annie that day. She wasn't going to allow her mother to do it, and she certainly wasn't going to watch Annie go back to that place again.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - This is my first multi-chaptered story that I've ever posted. It might start slow, but I promise it gets better. If you see any typos throughout I apologise, I edit it myself and often miss things but they gradually get fixed as I read over things. Thanks for reading! Xx**

**PART I**

**CHAPTER 1:**

Of all the districts, there were none that compared to District Four. It was a beautiful place, stunning in every way. The water was never too far, no matter where you were. The blue of the oceans, rivers and lakes sparkled underneath a warm sun, the people thrived, generally happy and healthy (when the Capitol was not attempting to interfere and expand their power). Every day was a good day, except for one. The one day every year that was dreaded, the day of the reaping ceremony.

Statistically, District Four had done fairly well in regards to victors. There had been many, and amongst them some of the biggest stars from the Games, some of the most popular and revered, though they themselves, would have preferred not to have been. But no parent enjoyed seeing their child off into the brutality of the Hunger Games, none ever came out the same. In there, it was either kill or be killed. Mags could account for that herself. The eighty-two year old was more than just a living legend, more than just the oldest surviving victor in Panem, she was a mother too, and not even she had been spared the trauma of sending a child into the Games. Her daughter, her beautiful, strong daughter, with long caramel brown hair, highlighted blonde by the sun, just like her father's had been. Her daughter, who she had trained herself since she was just a little girl, happy and carefree, who loved the ocean more than anything else. _Her one and only daughter, _who was reaped at just sixteen. It was older than Mags was when she went into the Games, and older than a number of her competition, but it didn't matter. When it was your own child, none of that mattered_._ In her eyes, she was still just a baby.

Her daughter, unlike many from their district, hadn't volunteered. She had trained only to ensure that she was ready in the worst case scenario, but Kailani Allyn had never desired such glory. The thought of killing the other tributes pained her, it did not, however, stop her. Armed with the double-sided spear she preferred, Kailani killed eight of the other tributes in the end, which was a third of the entire field. Kailani was smart, she kept away from the Cornucopia and the bloodbath. In an arena with a large river winding through the middle, she knew how to survive without the supplies awaiting them, tempting them to risk their lives in the initial battle. She kept to the connecting streams, fought past the obstacles that were thrown at her, and even then, with her smile and determination continued to charm the sponsors into sending gifts. She was a dangerous opponent, and her competitors knew it. Mags remembered clearly the moment her daughter was first attacked. It changed the entire game. They were on the fourth floor of the training centre, as was allocated to them. It was she, another mentor- he was her daughter's best friend, they had known each other since they were just small children, and Finnick Odair had won the games two year before- as well as both of their prep teams, and escort. It was only early, the sun barely haven risen when the alliance of four were noticed, creeping silently towards a sleeping Kailani. She was alone in the arena, she had made no alliances, even the male tribute from their own district had left her on the off, preferring to join with the Careers. She was a sitting duck, or so she had made it seem. The male from District One stepped in the wrong place, he wasn't paying as much attention as he should have, none of them were, and as soon as he did, a net wrapped around him and hoisted him into the air. Before the others even had time to register what was going on, Kailani was on her feet and the female tributes from One and Two were dead, their throats slit and blood dripping from both ends of her spear. You had to be fast to catch fish, and she was one of the quickest in the district. Unfortunately, her last opponent knew that, he was from District Four as well. Everyone was on the edge of their seats as they fought, it was too even, too close. Finnick switched often between screaming curses at the television screen and sitting in a tense silence. Mags however, watched the events unfold in a deathly stillness. It was only when, finally, Kailani impaled her enemy through the heart and he collapsed to the ground, did she, and everyone else, let out breaths of relief. The camera focussed on her face, but it was terrifyingly blank, not even when she killed the male from District One, still ensnared in her net, did she bat an eyelid. It was wrong, so wrong. No one dared speak a word because they just _knew_ that they'd witnessed a change in the girl who had always smiled. That was what the Hunger Games did, it changed people.

With all of the death and killing, it was no surprise. Kailani would go on to win those Games, and by all accounts, it was one of the quickest in history, but by no means was it considered unsatisfying for the Capitol. It was as brutal and horrific as ever, and after killing another two tributes out of self-defence, and the last two in one final battle to become victor, Kailani became the shining star of the Games. But she was different. Mags had mentored a number of victors in her time, she had seen them break, seen them fall into depression, seen them pretend everything was alright, however, this was not any tribute, _this was her daughter_, her only child, and the pain she felt at witnessing her broken form returned to them was like nothing she had ever experienced, it was almost crippling. She didn't cry, she barely said anything, for her the Games were not yet over, there was still so much to do and she had to remain strong. Kailani knew that, she'd been around the Games long enough to know how it all worked. However, as Mags took her into her arms for the first time, she didn't fail to notice how her daughter shook. She was alive and for that Mags was glad but, Kailani wouldn't be the same again, a part of her had died in those games. It was only when they returned home, when Finnick was finally convinced to leave and Annie Cresta was persuaded into visiting another time, did Kailani break down into sobs and fall into her mother's arms as if she were a lifejacket keeping her from drowning. Maybe she was. It took months for her to recover, and in all that time, she never left their little shack by the sea, nor would she accept any kind of visitors. Finnick was going out of his mind with worry, not even his yells at her window would rouse her though. All Kailani wanted to do was hide away, to tuck herself into a dark corner and not have to deal with anything. And if that was what her daughter wanted, then Mags made sure that that was what she got. It would take Kailani two months and five days before she allowed Finnick to visit, and it would be another week before he convinced her to go outside. The time helped to heal her, but it would never be able to fix what was broken completely.

* * *

Annie Cresta emerged worst off than most. A kind, and sweet girl, her parents had never taught her to fight, she survived the Games only by chance. When an earthquake broke the wall of a dam, water flooded the entire arena and as a girl from District Four, Annie was the only swimmer strong enough not to drown. She became the victor, but after witnessing the decapitation of her district partner before her very eyes, it was as if something within her snapped, her brain couldn't handle the pressure. She wasn't crazy though. Some thought she was, she would have her moments where mid-conversation she would break off, her eyes would glaze and she would no longer be aware of her surroundings, sometimes she would laugh when nothing was funny or squeeze her eyes closed, clap her hands over her ears and block out the entire world, but she was still Annie.

Kailani had known her for years, and she _knew_, with absolutely no doubt, that her friend was not crazy. The doctors labelled it as post-traumatic stress, which at the very least, was preferable to insanity. It took some amount of effort, but over the months following her win, they managed to coax the Annie they knew back out of her shell. The process was hard-going, there were parts of her that just could not be retrieved no matter how hard they tried. It all became easier though when she and Finnick began to fall in love. Kailani saw the change in their relationship as clear as day, it was so obvious. She couldn't pinpoint the _exact_ moment where it happened, but she would always remember the day where she first noticed it, where everything she had seen over the past few months clicked into place. They were walking on the beach together, their hands linked, their faces alight with happiness. She knew her stomach had sunk, her mind had dismissed anything between her and Finnick a long time ago, her heart however, was a different matter entirely. She couldn't keep the smile from her face as Annie bounced up to her and told her the good news though. She was so much like herself again, it was hard for Kailani not to be happy. As long as they were happy, then whatever she felt did not matter. That night, alone in her room, she was so happy she cried.

* * *

If only everything had been that simple.

They were supposed to be perfect for each other. That was what everyone had thought, but it seemed the Hunger Games had done more damage to Annie Cresta than any of them had ever realised. Darkness lingered within her. The kind of darkness heavy with resentment and anger, darkness that didn't enjoy being hidden away. It was as much a part of her as her kindness was and she had accepted that, but she had never intended for anyone else too. No one was supposed to see that side of her, no one was supposed to know. Not that that made her actions any more acceptable. Annie could have sworn that when Kailani walked in on her having sex with some other District Four man, a man that was clearly _not_ Finnick, her friend very nearly killed her. Brown eyes darted around the room, looking for some kind of weapon, it was as if she was in the Games again. To their relief, she found none. Both of them may have been victors, but Annie did not make a single kill, she ran away and hid in the corner of the arena, tears streaming down her face. Kailani had _survived_. She had killed and fought, and she was just as dangerous as she was then. Never claiming to be anything more than a coward, her partner moved quickly, and jumped out of the window, disappearing into the bushes as fast as his legs would possibly take him. Kailani let him go, perhaps she was planning on dealing with him later, she clearly had more pressing matters to deal with, namely, some kind of explanation. That was fair, Annie supposed. Her voice was cold as she spoke, she knew the tone had shocked her friend, but no more than the explanation would. She did not deny the situation, she did not beg for forgiveness, she merely gave the truth: sometimes she needed more than the undying love Finnick had for her, sometimes it was a lot to handle. That wasn't the explanation Kailani had been hoping for, she was seething, she wanted her to tell Finnick the truth, tell him _everything_. Annie wondered if perhaps her anger was directed towards more than just her affair, she wasn't foolish enough to ask though, that would most certainly get her killed. It was as if Kailani's anger had flipped a switch within her, Annie felt her hardened exterior melt away and terror flood her body in its place. The woman Kailani was used too, had returned but not even she tried to defend her actions. Instead, she asked Kailani to keep just this one secret for her. She knew it was harsh, but she pointed out that Finnick would be devastated if he knew. That won her over. Even when she caught her on countless more occasions, Kailani kept her secret.

That should have been it, that should have been the extent of their problems, but then it came, the announcement no one had been expecting.

* * *

It wasn't a surprise that President Snow was said to be furious over the events of the previous year. Two winners in one Games, the Capitol had been humiliated by Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark of District Twelve. They had outsmarted them, made them the laughing stock of Panem, and even worse than that, last year had seen a change. Discontent was bubbling under the surface of the districts, the scent of rebellion was in the air, the Capitol had to do something to stifle it. The Third Quarter Quell, marking the 75th Hunger Games, provided a perfect opportunity. The Quarter Quells occurred every twenty-five years, and were a reminder to _everyone_ that the Capitol still held all the power, that they were in control, that it was the rebellion of the districts so many years ago that resulted in the Hunger Games being born. The Quells saw the usual rules of the Games changed or altered. The First Quarter Quell made the people of each district vote for their tributes, vote to send the children of their friends or neighbours into the competition. It was a reminder to the rebels that their children were dying because of their choice to initiate violence. The Second Quarter Quell doubled all the tributes from each district. It was reminder that two rebels died for each Capitol citizen. If possible, the Third Quarter Quell was slated to be even worse. It was a reminder to the rebels that not even the strongest amongst them could overcome the power of the Capitol. For the Third Quarter Quell, the male and female tribute for each district had to be chosen from the already existing pool of victors.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2:**

"Annie Cresta."

It was a requirement, unless dying, for everyone of a district to attend their reaping ceremony. There was no option, it was mandatory. So, when Rosie Brindon, their always enthusiastic escort faltered slightly, everyone knew something was wrong. They had seen a lot of reapings, but they had never seen that. Their escort was sturdier than most, but it seemed even she had feelings. With some amount of reluctance, the escort read out the name on the sheet of paper and a horrified silence fell over the entirety of District Four. Of all the names, it had to be hers. No one made a sound, they didn't even move. The calming sound of the ocean seemed miles away; even all the birds and creatures had fallen silent. And then Annie opened her mouth. Screams filled the courtyard and she would have collapsed to the ground had Finnick not caught her. He held her tight against him, but still she screamed. She screamed and screamed, her hands pulling at her already mussed fiery red hair, she was going back into the Games, and that was by far her worst nightmare. Eventually though, Finnick managed to calm her. The cameras were trained on them, and Peacekeepers were making their way through the crowd, but that was not what caught Kailani's attention. Something shifted out of the corner of her eye and she glanced at her mother. Mags had a look of determination on her face. Kailani knew that look well. She leaned heavily on her cane, but that didn't appear to stop her, it never stopped her. Without thinking or even waiting for the cue, Kailani stepped in front of both her mother and Annie.

"I volunteer," she called, her voice ringing loudly through the courtyard.

Mags sucked in a sharp breath, as Annie fell completely silent. Kailani did not dare look at either of them as she walked up onto the stage. This was for the best, the Games were full of unknowns, but one thing for certain was that if either of them were chosen, they would be killed. She at least had a chance of surviving. Rosie squealed and immediately engulfed her in hug. Kailani tried her best not to suffocate in the cloud of her perfume. It was almost as if she were being reaped for the first time again. Except, unfortunately, she wasn't. Kailani looked out to the crowd, some were angry, some sympathetic, however most, had devastation written across their faces. It seemed that choosing from the pool of victors was one step too far by the Capitol. This was not something they could even pretend was okay. Kailani smiled out at them, and forced a calmness onto her face that she knew the people of her district could not ignore. The tension in the air eased, there would be a time for revolution, a perfect moment for the people to rise up, but that time was not now.

It was a message she had been spreading (and hearing herself) for years. _Soon, the time would come soon, just wait._ Perhaps it was because he feared her mother, they had known each other once, or perhaps he had seen the logic in keeping her image clean, but President Snow had never made any attempts to prostitute her out to those who requested her attentions. It made guilt run through her that she had escaped and Finnick had not, but that didn't mean she was left unused by the Capitol. They had her performing other duties as it were. It was often she that Snow used to calm any talk of rebellion, to show support of the Capitol at events. She, with her winning smile and beauty that could persuade anyone to her ideals, she was the perfect tool for them to keep the peace. She did not agree with any of it of course, it went against everything she believed in, but she did as he asked. It was too dangerous not to. He was a fool to trust her with such a variety of high-profile people though. They were so very easy to manipulate, especially when their veins were pumped with alcohol. All it took was for her to lean in close and bat her eyelids before they revealed things that perhaps they shouldn't have, though she doubted any of them would remember by morning. What Snow gave her was not a punishment, but an opportunity. With careful words, that appeared to mean nothing, she could plant seeds of doubt. There would come a time when the people she talked with, flirted with, would remember her words, and then, when that time came, the odds would shift in their favour. The people were becoming restless though, if she was being honest, so was she, conditions were worsening by the day, and she lived in a district far better than most, she did not even want to think of how the poorer districts were fairing in all of this. The message for all remained the same though. _Soon. Not yet, but soon._ Kailani tore her eyes away from the crowd, holding her breath despite herself as Rosie placed a perfectly manicured hand into the bowl listing all the living, male victors in their district. She rustled around for a few moments, making a spectacle of it, and then her fingers pulled out the piece of paper with the unfortunate victors name scribbled across it.

"Finnick Odair."

Annie shook her head frantically, her red hair flying, but Finnick's face didn't change, he was resigned to his fate. Imperceptibly, Kailani sighed. Mags took Annie's hand in hers, and squeezed tightly. Finnick didn't look back at them as he made his way to the stage. Rosie almost tackled him to the ground as he arrived, though that was not unusual. Falling into old ways he winked at the escort, but rather than leaving space between the two tributes, as was usually done, Finnick defiantly took Kailani's hand and stood next to her. It was small, but the Capitol would receive the message nonetheless: they were not going to make this easy for them, not in a million years.

* * *

He could have let go of her hand, in fact, he _should_ have let go of her hand, but Finnick found, at that moment, as Peacekeepers ushered them towards the train, that more than anything, he didn't want too. Kailani didn't complain, he figured she needed the comfort just as much as he did. It was not the usual procedure where they first got to say goodbye to their loved ones, no, this year that was bypassed entirely. Apparently, once the knife had been stuck in, the Capitol then enjoyed twisting it in further. It was not so much a concern for either of them though. They already had each other, Mags would undoubtedly join them soon enough as a mentor and Annie would just become more upset if either of them, let alone both, were to say goodbye. It worked out for the best, really. Ignoring Rosie as she blabbered on about something or other, Finnick glanced sideways at his best-friend. Kailani hadn't said a word since she had volunteered for Annie, she hadn't even looked at him. Her experiences with the Hunger Games had always been a touchy subject for her. He knew what had happened of course, everyone did, but they had never talked about it, and _they talked about everything._ It was as if that was the one weakness she wanted to keep hidden away. All of her pain and despair, only her mother had witnessed it. He had tried to get her to open up to him about it once, but it didn't go over well. She avoided him for months, and after that, he hadn't tried again. Finnick wished that he had. It was difficult to comfort someone who refused to let him in. He would do what he could though. The train door snapped shut behind them, and Rosie bustled off to speak with the stylists. There would be no discussions until their mentors arrived and for that, he was glad. It gave him time to speak to Kailani. He watched as the smile slipped from her face and her shoulders slumped slightly, without a word he dragged her to a large seat at the back of the room and pulled her down.

"Lani…" he started. She shook her head, and his sentence trailed off into nothing.

"There's nothing to be done about it now," she murmured, her voice tired, "All we can do is accept it."

Finnick raised an eyebrow, but remembered to be careful with his words, you never knew who could be listening, "You won't give up in there, will you?" Whether he referred to the Games or the Capitol was ambiguous, Kailani understood perfectly though.

She scoffed, "Definitely not." Finally, her dark brown eyes turned to him, "That would be much too easy."

He grinned, but his face quickly turned serious, "We work together in there, do you understand me?"

Kailani sighed, "Finnick-"

"No, I know it won't be like last year, but no matter what happens, we don't leave the other behind, are we clear?"

She hesitated, but only for a second. "We're clear, " she agreed.

Finnick could feel all of his muscles relax. He let out a breath he didn't even know he had been holding, and leaned his head on her shoulder. She chuckled quietly to herself.

"Thank you, by the way," he whispered.

Kailani frowned, "What for?"

That was a good question, for an entire list of things, really. One however, stood out the most. "For saving, Annie." He refused to say _for volunteering_, he hated himself enough for even thinking it.

She smiled at him, softly. It never ceased to amaze him how, even after all she had been through, she could still find it within herself to smile, it was enough to make _anyone's_ day better. "My mother was going to do it, I know she was." She shook her head, "I couldn't let it happen. I didn't want to see either her or Annie in the Games. They would not survive. I did what I had to do."  
"And I thank you for it."

* * *

Mags did indeed join them as a mentor, as did Asher. He was one of the other victors from their district, one of many. In his mid-50's, his black hair had begun to grey, but he was one of the more likeable mentors in the area, and they all got on well enough. They were both being guided by Peacekeepers, whom had little patience for an elderly Mags, hobbling along slowly. They might have started pushing her to move faster had Asher not been there to assist her. The annoyance rolled off of Kailani in waves, but she didn't say anything as the train doors slid open and the Peacekeepers grumbled at the pair to get inside. Kailani quickly relieved Asher of her mother, and led Mags to a seat. Finnick helped her to sit down, and the older woman looked at him sadly before turning to her daughter. Kailani didn't bother smiling for her, she knew better. Neither shed a tear, in the presence of others they never would, but the pain in their eyes was clear. Mags raised a shaky hand to her daughter's face and without a word, Kailani clasped it in her own. It felt as if they were prying into they weren't supposed too by staring at the pair.

"Here to help us get sponsors?" Finnick asked, his voice almost amused at the prospect. It wasn't as if they needed much help in that department.

Asher rolled his eyes, "Here for support, kid," he answered, simply.

Finnick's face softened, his eyes serious as he nodded, "Thank you."

* * *

She should have been eating. Time and time again she had told tributes at this point of the journey to eat, to begin storing their energy. They would need everything they could get. But on that night, as the train flew past the districts, travelling at high speed to make it to the Capitol, she just couldn't do it. Her mother pushed food towards her, pumpkin soup, bread rolls, steak, potatoes, a rich chocolate pudding, but all of it made her feel sick. Nonetheless, the smile remained on her face as she kept conversation with Rosie, speaking about everything from the mood in the Capitol to the current fashion trends. And plate after plate she would push away until finally, she excused herself altogether. Finnick wanted to follow her, to help her, to comfort her, she was his best-friend and they _always_ looked out for each other, but one look from Mags and he stayed where he was. Kailani wouldn't confide in him, not if it had anything to do with the Games.

"Don't you worry," she comforted, her voice wispy and quiet as she pulled herself to her feet, "She'll be alright." Mags shuffled out of the room in search of her daughter.

Finnick sighed. He knew that, of course he did. She was always alright eventually, but that wasn't the point. She was never alright because _he_ had helped her. It was always her mother. Despite himself, that had always bothered him. He knew that the Games would change her, they changed everyone, but he had never thought it would change _them._ He was as ready to be there for her, as she had been for him. He had waited with open arms, but instead of allowing him to help her, she hid herself away. Every day after she had come home from her victory tour he tried to visit, and every day her mother would turn him away. That was the longest he had ever gone without seeing Kailani. She never even gave him the chance to help her. By time she'd allowed him to visit her, his best friend had already changed, she already had a hardness to her that hadn't been there before. Oh, she hid it away well enough but Finnick knew that it was still there, still lurking. All it took was one thing to set her off, it didn't happen often but when it did, her entire demeanour changed, she became cold and distant, nothing like the Kailani he had known his entire life. If Finnick were being honest, it hurt. It hurt that she kept these things from him, that she refused to let him help her after all it was only because of Kailani that he had gotten through his own victory. But if she could hide things, then so could he. Besides, he supposed all of that was probably the least of their worries. They were going back into the Games, they had to be ready.

* * *

Kailani glared angrily at her roof. Some of the vases that had adjourned her room, lay on the ground shattered into pieces. This entire situation was ridiculous. She _hated_ it. No victor would be happy about this. They would all be seething. Yes, she had accepted that once more she would have to fight for her life, but that didn't mean she was happy about it. Not by a long shot.

There was a light tap at her door, and Kailani sighed. That would be her mother. Asher wouldn't bother coming to seek her out and Finnick would have been much louder. There was silence, and Kailani was tempted to stay where she was and hide from even her mother. As old as she was though, Mags was stubborn. She could be exhausted and on the verge of collapsing, and still she would hover outside her daughter's door until she answered. Taking a deep breath, she sat up. If she were being perfectly honest, her mother's visit was hardly a surprise. She was worried, of course she would come. The door slid open and Kailani tried her best not to look too annoyed.

"Mother, please. I'm fine, really," she insisted, "I just need to be alone for a little while."

Mags ignored her. Her thin arms wrapped around her daughter and she pulled her close. Despite herself, Kailani could feel all of her resistance wash away. Exhaustion filled her, and she leaned her head down onto her mother's shoulder. "It was supposed to be over," she whispered.

Mags nodded, running a hand through her daughter's long hair soothingly, "I know."

Kailani pulled away and looked at her mother seriously, "What do I do?"

Her eyes flickered around the room, warily, "You fight _the enemy_."

* * *

Finnick stared blankly at the screen, faces and names flashing by. The replay of the reaping ceremonies of the other districts had long since ended, but still, he hadn't been bothered to turn the television off. He knew every single victor that had been chosen, some of them were good friends, all of them he had spoken too at least once. He did _not_ want to kill these people. He was glad it was the middle of the night and everyone had gone to bed, it left him time to think. There would be no time to think once they had reached the Capitol, only time to act. They had put a few plans in place, nothing specific of course, but just enough to keep them going. They already had an idea of what they had to do anyway. These Games would not be about winning, they wanted to survive, but there were more important matters to attend too first. The faces of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark appeared on screen. The District Twelve tributes, the winners of last year's games. Those two had changed everything. He wondered if they realised what it was that they had started. It may not have been their intention, but he was sure they knew, it was impossible not to. They had started a rebellion.

"You're supposed to be asleep," called a voice, interrupting him from his thoughts.

Finnick looked up, his green eyes meeting brown. Kailani grinned at him. He should have known that she would appear at some point. Neither of them would be sleeping on this night, there were too many thoughts running around in their brains. She at least seemed to have tried though. She wore the tiniest, pale green night dress he had ever seen, showing long, tanned legs, the grey silk gown she wore over the top doing little to cover her. Her light brown hair was tied messily atop her head and dark green slippers were on her feet. It was obvious she had just gotten out of bed. Though not before stopping by the kitchens apparently, a large bowl of chocolate pudding was nestled between her hands, her eyes bright with excitement. Every year when they went to the Capitol, she could always be found eating the chocolate pudding. It was her favourite.

"So are you," he commented, dryly.

She shrugged, taking a spoonful of decadent pudding and placing it in her mouth. "I was hungry," she said.

He chuckled, the tightness and tension in his shoulders easing. "Come here," he said, patting the seat next to him.

Her face softened, and without a word, she glided forwards and planted herself down. Her legs curled underneath her, and her eyes fell to the television screen. The reapings. The tributes from District One appeared on screen, Cashmere and Gloss, a brother and sister pairing, they had won the games consecutively a few years ago. They were good people too, for the most part. He and Gloss didn't get along very much, but that was no surprise, they were both strong, handsome males, competition was inevitable. It certainly had nothing to do with the heated looks he and Kailani shared every time they saw one another. Kailani sighed, deeply. "Who else was chosen?" she asked, somewhat unwillingly.

"Enobaria and Brutus-"

"Oh no."

Finnick nodded, "They will be playing to win." Kailani listened intently, her face one of concentration. "Neither would have been expecting to go into the Games again, but I doubt they have an issue with it."

"They do enjoy a good battle for survival," she agreed.

"Wiress and Beetee were reaped, Cecelia too, they had to separate her from her kids, it wasn't good, Lani."

Kailani shook her head in disgust, "I suppose Johanna was chosen?"

Finnick sighed, "She _is_ the only surviving female victor of District Seven," he confirmed. Despite her abrasive attitude, the two had formed a strong bond with Johanna Mason. He admitted, she took some getting used to, but she was a fierce ally.

"And the male?"

"Blight."

"At least he might be able to keep her recklessness to a minimum, keep her from getting herself killed."

Finnick avoided pointing out that the odds of that happening anyway were rather large. That would just upset her. Instead, he scoffed loudly. "Blight won't be able to stop Johanna from doing anything," he said.

"No, you're right," agreed Kailani, "I realised it the moment I said it. What I meant is that he won't encourage her."

"That's true, I'll give you that."

"And the Capitol's star-crossed lovers?"

"Both of them in the Games again, the boy volunteered for Haymitch Abernathy."

"That doesn't surprise me."

And it didn't. Whether their love was an act or not (that was still a matter of debate amongst the mentors), they would want to continue keeping up appearances. Especially, after their little stunt with the berries. For them, it was matter of life and death. And they were doing just that, they were to be married soon apparently. Finnick and Kailani spoke long into the night, discussing their opponents, the upcoming interviews, anything and everything, as long as it passed the time. There was no point trying to force sleep now, with every second that passed, the Capitol grew ever closer.

The time was coming.

The time for the 75th Hunger Games. Games.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3: **

Kailani cringed as another strip of wax was pulled from her leg. She thought she might have had a chance of escaping the ever so painful process this time around. It was not as if she didn't look after herself. She shaved, she kept clean, then again, she had done the same before and her prep team had still deemed it necessary to lather her in wax and rip the hairs from her skin, or what was left of it at least. The styling of the chariot rides this year was rather simple, their stylists were excited to have both she and Finnick in their grasps once more, it meant they could flaunt their "assets" while simultaneously paying homage to District Four's industry of fishing. It was an easy task for them, and guaranteed praise from their associates. Tightly woven nets, shells and _a lot_ of skin was the basic theme. As it usually seemed to be when she or Finnick were involved. It could have been worse, the stylists could have made them go out their naked. She was sure they had considered it. The nets provided plenty of coverage, and they were woven tight enough that one could not even see the holes in between. It took hours for everything to get done and when her hair was finally tied into a high ponytail on top of her head, a light layer of makeup was painted onto her face and she was practically thrown out the door.

Finnick gave her a look of amusement as she emerged, pulling a number of shell bracelets onto her arm.

"About time, I would hate for us to be late," he grinned, biting into the apple he held in his hand.

Kailani rolled her eyes, "You didn't have to wait."

Besides, he hardly seemed _that_ concerned about the situation. Finnick was strewn across the couch carelessly, looking almost bored as he threw his apple into the air before catching it again. He was in full-costume, the same netting material used in her clothes was wrapped around his waist and fell down to cover his groin, before stopping. The stylists had wanted the audience to see as much of him as possible, apparently. He was wearing even less than she was. She had a cropped top which went over only one shoulder, that to her annoyance, barely kept her breasts in- it was always the same with these people, though she resisted the urge to adjust it- as well as a long skirt with a slit running up the entire length of her leg. They both wore matching sandals on their feet. Kailani knew the Capitol crowd would love it. It was terribly cliché, but they never seemed to care. She also couldn't help but admit that they were the perfect costumes in forcing the crowd to mourn their loss, they would make the masses question President Snow's decision, and for all of them, that was important.

Finnick shrugged, getting to his feet, "I like making an entrance." He tossed what was left of the apple into a bin. "It wouldn't be as convincing without you by my side."

Kailani nodded, "It's true, I am far more charming than you are." She winked.

Chucking, he held an arm out to her, "Shall we?" he asked, using his most formal voice.

Without hesitating, she took it. "We shall."

He was right, they did make quite the entrance. Everyone there knew perfectly well that they were mocking the entire process, but there were still glances of jealousy and annoyance from a few. Not that they cared. Most were either laughing or smirking quietly to themselves. Johanna was the first to approach, "I see your stylists went all out this year, " she said, her voice tinged with sarcasm.

Johanna Mason, she had won the 71st Hunger Games by pretending she was weak and surprising what was left of her opponents, by in fact, being a rather skilled killer. Despite the difference in personalities, Johanna and Kailani were really the best of friends. They balanced each other out, influenced one another in all the right ways. Not to mention, they were both underestimated by their enemies. It only made sense that they had bonded. With Finnick always by her side, it was no surprise that he too became friends with Johanna. They got on each other's nerves sometimes, but it was all in good fun.

Finnick raised an eyebrow, "You can talk," he stated, his eyes running over her costume. The design was clear.

"You're a tree," pointed out Kailani, "Again."

She shook her head, "Don't even get me started." Johanna growled. She turned a glare to Finnick, "Hey Odair, don't you have other places to be?"

He raised his hands in immediate surrender, "I wasn't the one who designed your costume!" he defended.

"Go away."

Finnick rolled his eyes, "Alright, alright, I get the message, I'm going."

As soon as he was out of earshot, Johanna turned to Kailani accusingly, "You still haven't told him," she hissed, "You told me you were going too."

Kailani glanced around anxiously, "I know, I know. But-" Her eyes flickered to Finnick, "They're so happy, _he's_ so happy. I don't want to be the one to destroy that."

"It's already destroyed, he's living a lie!"

She sighed. Sometimes Kailani hated that she and Johanna had become such good friends. She was the one person she had talked to about what Annie had done, it was never something she could confide in her mother with. Johanna gave her someone she could confess the truth too, who she could rant too. Of course, she was rather opinionated about what she should do about it. Not that she could have expected anything less. Still, the woman had a talent for making her life more difficult than it needed to be.

"While you're at it," she continued, "You may as well confess your feelings for him."

Kailani shot her a sharp look, she knew telling her that had been a mistake. "There's nothing to confess," she ground out. Nor would there ever be. Telling Finnick about Annie was one thing, but telling him _that_, was absolutely out of the question.

"That's bullshit and you know it." Johanna always had been direct, and she was not about to let her get away with any kind of denial. She brushed her hair aside and fixed her with a long look, "I'm sure it won't go down as bad as you're imagining it. He loves you too-"

Kailani shook her head, she did not want to hear this. "Stop it."

"He just doesn't know it-"

"Johanna, _please_."

"Go on, tell him. You can't let him go into these Games without knowing the truth."

"For fuck's sake, Johanna," she snapped, finally having enough, "Just leave it alone."

The District Seven victor grinned, "It's only a matter of time," she sang. Her eyes found Gloss, standing next to his sister, and she raised an eyebrow. He hadn't taken her eyes off of her yet, and Kailani was very much aware of that. If anything, she did enjoy teasing him. "You're not going to fool around with him again, are you?"

Kailani shrugged. "I'm allowed to have my fun." And their _relationship_, if it could be called that, had indeed been fun. It was strictly casual, it always had been. She offered to help him to relieve some stress a few years ago, and from there it had spiralled. They helped each other out on occasion and both had agreed that there were no feelings involved, it was simply physical. Johanna disapproved, she thought Kailani should confess _everything_ to Finnick and they could live happily ever after. But life didn't work like that, and things with Gloss were easy.

There was a loud cheer from the crowds above, and everyone turned to see Katniss enter the gathering area for the tributes and their chariots. She wore a long, black dress, the same colour as the coal mined in her district, her dark hair was left out and her face had makeup highlighting and accentuating all of her features. Most notably, a dark crown had been placed upon her head. The girl looked thoroughly out of her element, navigating everything by herself. It was not as if she knew anyone, and her partner was yet to arrive.

"You think she's going to be on fire this year?" asked Kailani.

Johanna rolled her eyes, "It is the running theme." Her tone clearly stated she was not impressed. Something caught her attention, and a smirk spread across her face, "Looks like someone is going to try and make friends." Kailani followed her gaze and groaned: Finnick. This could only end badly.

* * *

Katniss could not deny she was feeling out of place. Whereas last year everyone kept to themselves, this year the tributes and mentors were scattered across the room, talking and socialising. Haymitch was right, everyone here did know each other and that left her and Peeta in a difficult position. The solution would have been for her to start introducing herself to people, to make friends, to make herself known, but she was hardly the type. That was Peeta's expertise, not hers. Instead, she tried to keep out of the way. She stroked the neck of one of horses, trying to remain unnoticed. It didn't quite go according to plan, though. The crunching sound of gravel reached her ears and before she had any time to react, Finnick Odair was standing next to her. Katniss turned her head, only to find his famous sea-green eyes just centimetres from her own. He popped a sugar cube into his mouth and leaned against her horse.

"Hello, Katniss," he greeted, as if they had known each other for years, when in fact they had never actually met.

She did not let it affect her. "Hello, Finnick," she replied, just as casually. Though even she had to admit, his close proximity was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable, especially when he was wearing so little clothing.

"Want a sugar cube?" he asked, offering her his hand which was piled high, "They're supposed to be for the horses, but who cares? They've got years to eat sugar, whereas you and I… well, if we see something sweet, we better grab it quick."

Finnick Odair was something of a living legend in Panem. He had won the 65th Hunger Games when he was only fourteen, he was still one of the youngest victors in history. Being a Career, the odds were already in his favour, but no trainer could claim to have given him his extraordinary beauty. Tall, athletic, with golden skin, blonde hair and those incredible eyes. While other tributes that year were hard-pressed to get a handful of grain or some matches for a gift, Finnick had never had an issue. His sponsors provided him with food, medicine, weapons, anything he needed. It took about a week for his competitors to realize that he was the one to kill, but by then it was too late. He was already a good fighter with the spears and knives he had found in the Cornucopia. When he received a silver parachute with a trident- one of the most expensive gifts Katniss had ever seen- it was all over. District Four's industry is fishing. He had been on boats his whole life. The trident was a natural, deadly extension of his arm. He wove a net out of some kind of vine he had found, used it to entangle his opponents so he could spear them with the trident, and within a matter of days the crown was his.

The citizens of the Capitol had been drooling over him ever since.

Because of how young he was, they couldn't really touch him for the first year or two, but as soon as he turned sixteen, he'd spent all his time at the Games being hounded by those desperately in love with him. No one retained his favour for long though. He could go through four or five lovers in an annual visit. Old or young, lovely or plain, rich or very rich, he'd keep them company, take their extravagant gifts, but never, would he stay, and once he was gone he never came back.

Katniss could not pretend that Finnick wasn't one of the most stunning, sensuous people on the planet, but if she were being perfectly honest, she had never found him _that_ attractive. He was too easy to lose.

"No, thanks," she said, turning down the sugar, "I'd love to borrow your outfit sometime though."

The grin on his face widened, "You're absolutely terrifying me in that get-up. What happened to the pretty little-girl dresses?" They had become rather common during her Victory Tour, the point was that they had been trying to project the image of her as nothing more than a girl in love, that the incident with the berries was not an act of rebellion, but a desperate attempt fuelled by the love she had for Peeta to survive. Nothing more and nothing less. She wasn't entirely sure their plan had worked though. In fact, she was _positive_ that it hadn't. In an act that would probably drive most women crazy, Finnick wet his lips with his tongue. Katniss resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"I outgrew them," she answered, simply.

Finnick took the collar of her outfit and ran it between his fingers. "It's too bad about this Quell business. You could have made out like a bandit in the Capitol. Jewels, money, anything you wanted."

"I don't like jewels, and I have more money than I need. What do you spend all yours on, anyway?"

"Oh, I haven't dealt in anything as common as money for years, " said Finnick.

"Then how do your-" She paused, trying to think of the right word, "_Friends_ pay you for the pleasure of your company?"

"With secrets," he said, softly. He tipped his head towards her, their lips almost touching. "What about you, girl on fire? Do you have any secrets worth my time?"

For some stupid reason, she blushed, but Katniss forced herself to stand her ground, "No, I'm an open book," she whispered back, "Everybody seems to know my secrets before I know them myself."

He smiled, then. "Unfortunately, I think that's true."

A flash of brown hair over his shoulder caught her attention, and out of curiosity, she couldn't help but ask him. It seemed as good a time as any, and even she knew that the rumours had been circling for years. "What about her? Do you know her secrets?" Finnick followed her gaze, and immediately, his eyes softened.

"Kailani and I keep no secrets." He raised his voice, "Isn't that right, Lani?"

Kailani Allyn raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow as, with two long strides, the woman reached the two of them. "What are you talking about?" Her voice confused.

The female victor from District Four was as much a legend as her partner. Long, caramel coloured hair fell in waves down her back, she was tall, lean, tanned from the sun, she had soft, brown eyes that seemed to be able to read so much. She was stunning. The competitors of her Games had learned from the mistakes of their predecessors, they knew she was a threat, and she knew she was a target. No one would have been at all surprised to see her form an alliance with the other Careers, but for some reason, she had refused. She had never seemed like the killing type, she preferred to stay out of the way of it all, perhaps that was why she not joined with them, their type generally sought out the weaker opponents to take them out. However, it did not stop the male tribute from her district, although if Katniss had to guess, she would say that she had probably hoped it would. Kailani was left alone and in a very dangerous place. She had no shortage of sponsors, as they had with Finnick, they all kept her very much alive, but sponsors could do nothing to assist if she were attacked. And she was, a number of times, and despite her reservations, she killed them. Kailani was beautiful, kind, generous, the best friend of Finnick Odair and the daughter of the beloved Mags, it was no surprise the people of the Capitol fell head over heels in love with her, and they only fell harder when they saw how skilled a fighter she was. Katniss had been as impressed as they were. She killed eight in the end, but she had never sought out any one of them. Six attacked _her_, and the last two she had stumbled across in a field, they were all that was left, she had no choice but to fight for her life. Katniss did not trust her, she trusted none of them, but at the very least, she respected her.

"Secrets," answered Finnick, "I was telling Katniss that we don't keep any secrets."

There was a flicker of something in her eyes then. Finnick had not seen, but Katniss had. It was gone so quickly she had barely caught it, she was sure that something had been pain though.

"Of course not," said Kailani, as if it were the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. She was a good actress, Katniss would give her that. "Why were you talking about secrets? Are you making the poor girl feel uncomfortable," she scolded.

"Not at all," he grinned, popping another sugar cube in his mouth. He offered his hand, and she sighed, taking two of the sugar cubes for herself, before turning back to face Katniss.

"I'm sorry about him, you get used to it after a while."

Katniss thoroughly doubted that, but she wasn't stupid enough to voice her opinion, that was no way to play nice with the others. "It's fine," she answered.

Finnick's eyes glanced to the side, "Peeta is coming. Sorry you have to cancel your wedding." Kailani shook her head, a look of exasperation on her face. "I know how devastating that must be for you." He tossed another sugar cube in his mouth, before sauntering off.

Kailani smiled apologetically at her, and then Peeta, as he came to stand by her side. "What he means to say is that we're sorry you not only have to participate in the Games again, but you have to do it for the second in a row," she said, so sincerely Katniss couldn't tell whether she was lying or not. Something told her that she wasn't.

"Kailani, come _on!_" Finnick called, already in their chariot. They would be amongst the first to ride out.

She sighed dramatically. "I suppose I better go, then." Kailani placed a hand on both her and Peeta's shoulders, gave a small smile and then glided away gracefully. Neither really knew what to make of her.

* * *

Crowds roared and cheered at the sight of their victors, some took note of the opportunity, smiling and waving, others did nothing, not caring for _any_ aspect of the Games. The chariots curved around into the loop of the City Circle, and as President Snow began his usual welcome, all of the victors began to tune him out. None of them saw any reason to listen. Even if they hadn't of heard it all before, they wouldn't have cared. All of them knew he was the one responsible for forcing them into the Hunger Games again. Finnick and Kailani were whispering quietly to each other, both snacking on the sugar cubes they had taken with them. The tributes from District Six were staring avidly at the flickering fire on Katniss and Peeta's costumes. Johanna Mason from District Seven could not have looked more bored even if she had tried. Perhaps they should have been concerned with the consequences for their actions, but not one of them wanted to be there, they saw no point in acting otherwise. Not this time around. The anthem began to plan, the chariots took one final trip around the circle, and then, it was all over. To everyone's relief. As soon as the doors to the training centre closed behind them, they all broke off into small groups again, talking amongst each other, joking, ranting, all of it. The camaraderie amongst the victors clearly made the Peacekeepers uncomfortable, but they could care less. They would be entering the arena in just a few days, it was not as if they could do anything to stop them from socialising. For some, like District Twelve, it would have been as good a time as any to try and make friends with the others. It became clearer by the minute the disadvantage they were at. These were people who had known each other for years, _who were friends already_. They shared a bond that Katniss and Peeta had very little time to become a part of. Not even Haymitch introducing them to his friends helped them all too much. It was not that easy. The trust had to be earned, and it had to go both ways. If you made the wrong alliances with the wrong people in the arena, they would, without hesitation, _kill you_.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4:**

"Not a good turn out," commented Finnick, as finally, the tributes who had decided to show up for training, were allowed to roam free.

Only about half had attended in the end, not that Kailani could blame any of them. She would have been happy to find something better to do with her time as well. There was no use hiding away in her room though, as tempting as it was, it was much more productive of her to be down in the training rooms. To hide away would mean she had given up, and she _had not_ given up. Not quite yet.

"No, but everyone'll be here on the last day," said Kailani, her voice almost distracted as she tried to decide on what station she was going to go to. Combat or survival, it was a difficult choice.

Finnick rolled his eyes, "Only because they _have_ to be here, then."

She shrugged, she didn't really care whether people showed up or not. There would be no escaping the Hunger Games, no matter how hard they tried. "Are you going to go and outshine everyone with your trident?" she asked.

Finnick glanced around, noting the stations that were occupied, "I think I'll build up to that," he said, finally, "Maybe tomorrow."

Kailani made her decision, "Well, I'm feeling rather tired, I might just do something easy today." She looked fondly at the fishing station. Their mentors had given them no instructions on how to play out the next few days, how to act, who to befriend. There was no point, everyone already knew each other and what they could do. Katniss wandered over to the fire starting station where Beetee and Wiress were struggling to start a fire with the matches they held, and Kailani watched her go. She was important that girl. Rumblings of a rebellion had been going on for years, but always underneath the surface. Now however, that had all changed, and Katniss Everdeen was at the centre of it all. Her mentor knew that better than anyone else. Already, Haymitch was organising things for her and Peeta, he had a plan apparently, but not one his students were to find out about. He did not need to relay anything further. If the Gamemakers caught wind of some kind of mega-alliance, particularly one District Twelve was involved in, they would become suspicious, Finnick and Kailani were not fools, _they knew that_. He had asked how they felt about an alliance, and they said they were willing to participate. It was as simple as that. They expected any other information would come in the next three days.

"If you're going to go to the fishing station, I don't see the point of you having come down here at all. You could be upstairs eating chocolate pudding right now and it would be more constructive," Finnick said. It was a fair point, but Kailani didn't really care.

"I have all night to eat that, besides me going to the fishing station is no different from me practicing with my spear. One is just considerably less effort than the other, _and_ this way I can socialise as well."

"Alright, alright," he conceded, "You have your fun, I'm going to go and throw some knives."

"You do that." He did need the practice, he could wield them, he was not as good as throwing them. He was much too used to throwing spears and tridents. Then again, she was no better. The two split up, and happily, Kailani sat herself down at the fishing station. The trainer was surprised to see her, he had been sure she already knew everything he had to teach and more. To be fair, he wasn't wrong, she just enjoyed the process. He eventually gave up attempting to teach her anything, and as no one else had wanted to join them, battled on who could make fishhooks faster. Kailani, of course, won, but she promised that after lunch she would _teach him_ a few things that made it all a lot easier. And she did. The trainer was in amazement of her technique. It was simple, effective and fast. She was nowhere near as good as her mother though, she had learned what she could, but Mags had a natural talent for it. Even now, she was probably still quicker than her.

"I was so sure that the trainers were meant to be teaching us, not us them."

The trainers head snapped up, surprised to have more company. He had been so enraptured in trying to make a fishhook out of an earring he had not heard anyone approaching. Kailani had though, she didn't even look up from her work to acknowledge Finnick.

"Not much left that he _can_ teach me, Finn," she mumbled, carefully threading weight onto her hook. It had to be just right.

He waited until she had finished what she was doing before speaking again, "I brought you a friend," he said.

Finally, Kailani looked at him and standing to his left was Katniss, albeit somewhat reluctantly. Finnick must have stolen her away from somewhere else. She was sure she had heard two sets of footsteps, it was good to know she had not entirely lost her touch. Kailani smiled, "Katniss!" she greeted, brightly. Her hand patted the seat next to her, "Come, sit, perhaps we can teach you a few things."

Katniss did as she was told, and sat down. Finnick grinned, "You won't be able to learn from anyone better," he guaranteed. He leaned forwards, his arms winding around Katniss as he picked out a simple nail and placed it in front of her, "I would start with this if I were you," he said, lowly.

Katniss looked torn between feeling uncomfortable, and resisting the urge to hit him. Kailani thought it best she intervene before she decided on the latter. She poked Finnick sharply in the stomach and he jerked backwards, "Stop bothering her."

Katniss shot her a look of gratitude.

"I wasn't bothering, merely helping," he said, innocently. The grin on his face widened, "Was someone feeling left out?"

Before she could even think of an appropriate response, his arms wrapped around her tightly and he pulled her back against his chest.

* * *

Katniss could not help but stare at them. No one else seemed to notice, or perhaps it was just so commonplace they were used to it. But she was beginning to think there were more to the rumours than she had originally thought. They were so at ease with each other, and sometimes the looks they exchanged, she was sure there was love there. Katniss had seen enough of them on television over the years and in person to know that. If it were true though, she wondered why they didn't utilise it in these Games. There had been no indication of a romance so far, nothing at all. If the Capitol knew Kailani Allyn and Finnick Odair were in a relationship, the people would go berserk. Even if they really weren't, surely the smartest thing for them to do would be to pretend otherwise. The advantage they would gain would be enormous. They would blow her and Peeta out of the water completely. So, that begged the question as to why they didn't do it. There had to be something that she was missing.

Finnick placed a light kiss to Kailani's cheek before pulling away. She rolled her eyes at him. "I don't think hugging is considered training, you know," she said.

"No, but I bet I would get full marks if I did that in my private session."

Kailani laughed, "I would not be surprised at all if that happened."

Neither would Katniss if she were being perfectly honest.

"I'll leave you both to have your fun," he said, finally, winking at her, "I think I've distracted you both long enough."

"Yes, you have." Kailani waved him away. "Now go."

He smirked, but left them to their own devices nonetheless. Immediately, Kailani launched into the basics of making a good fishhook. Their trainer did not even bother to interrupt her. Katniss listened to every word she said, which materials were better than others, how to make the hooks as strong and sturdy as possible, tips to being able to make them faster if you had very little time. She was glad Finnick had dragged her over to the fishing station because Kailani was a fantastic teacher. When she managed to make a fishhook out of a nail she had bent and attached it to strands of her own hair, Kailani had beamed at her proudly before moving on to more difficult concepts.

"So…" she started, glancing sideways at the District Four tribute, "Are you and Finnick…" Kailani raised an eyebrow. "Uh, you know, together?" she trailed off, awkwardly.

Kailani's hands paused in their movements. Her brown eyes slid across to look at her and Katniss had to force herself not to fidget under her gaze. Finally, Kailani shook her head, "No."

Maybe she had misread the signs, Katniss could hardly call herself an expert in the matter. "Oh, sorry, I just thought-"

She chuckled, "I know what you thought, and you've not been the only one." Kailani returned her attention to the intricately detailed fishhook she was making. "Finnick is my best friend in the world, but that's all." If she was bothered by that fact, then Katniss for the life of her couldn't tell.

"So, you two have known each other a long time?"

Kailani smiled fondly, "As long as I can remember."

Katniss watched as her expert fingers continued on her creation. Kailani would be a good ally, Haymitch would most certainly approve. She was a good person, one of the better ones she had met so far that was for sure. But she was dangerous. It was impossible to tell whether her words were truth or lie, and she had no doubts that with her would come Finnick. Having those two in an alliance could be lethal. Katniss refused to risk it.

"I don't know how you put up with him," she said, shaking her head.

Kailani giggled, "He is a handful," she agreed, "But that's just a part of who he is. He has his good qualities as well, even if he doesn't show them to everyone."

Strangely, Kailani never asked any questions herself. Not about her, or Peeta, nothing at all, she was content to give instructions on fishhooks and help out where she could, rather than gather information. Her basic instinct it seemed was just to look after other people. That did nothing to make Katniss feel better at the thought of killing her. By time Kailani deemed her fishing skills adequate enough, she sent her away to another station. She didn't want her to stay at the same station for the rest of the day. Katniss chose archery.

It had been a long day, all she had wanted to do was wind down. She had hardly _intended_ to impress everyone there with her shooting. According to Haymitch, at least half of the tributes had put in a formal request to be allies. It was a shame she didn't want any of them.

* * *

"Any news?" asked Finnick, his voice low.

They sat on the floor of his bathroom, the shower running on high to block out their voices in case anyone was listening in. Apparently, no one thought it was strange that Kailani was in his bathroom. He decided not to dwell on that.

Taking a sip of her tea, Kailani shrugged, "Only bits and pieces," she said, quietly, "There might be a chance we can make it out of this, but Katniss and Peeta come first. They are the symbols of this rebellion, the hope, the heart, they are the priority."

"Protect District Twelve, we already expected that. Do we know who else is in on this yet?"

"From what I've heard it's us, Three, Six, Seven, Eight and Eleven."

Finnick's eyes widened slightly, "That's a lot of people." He wasn't sure there had ever been an alliance so big in the arena. Including Katniss and Peeta that would be fourteen tributes, over half of the field. Not to mention that they had the new head Gamemaker on their side. Plutarch Heavensbee had been plotting to overthrow the Capitol for a long time, now he was finally in a position to do so. He hid his intentions well though. He was a valued and trusted citizen of the Capitol, no one would ever expect _him_ of rebellion. "And Katniss and Peeta are still to know nothing?" he continued, "Surely they will get suspicious."

Kailani shook her head, "They don't know us well enough to become suspicious, not really."

"Katniss will be the biggest problem, she's too mistrusting. We can't help her if she's trying to kill us."

"We just have to earn their trust, we can do no more than that."

"And hope she doesn't shoot an arrow through our skulls," he muttered.

Kailani nudged him with her foot playfully, "It'll be okay."

Finnick gave a small smile, "Perhaps."

There were so many ways in which something could go wrong though. She always looked to the positive side, she still held hope, which left him to be the one who worried. This plan could fail miserably, and then what? Everyone they loved would be killed, if they were not dead already. The rebellion would fail, the districts would be forced into compliance once again and the dictatorship they lived under would continue.

"It is better than nothing," she said, knowingly, as if she could read his thoughts.

As ever, Kailani had a point. "So, what else is there?" he asked, "I assume they plan to get whoever they can out if there is still hope for us as you say, but how?"

She shrugged, "You got me, I have no idea."

"Beetee and Wiress must have something to do with it, if anyone could do it, they could."

"With the right instruments, yes."

"I expect _he_ will take care of that." They were already taking enough precautions, but still, it was better not to say Heavensbee's name out loud. It was always better to be safe than sorry.

"The important thing is keeping Katniss and Peeta safe. That is our job."

Finnick nodded, "Then that is what we will do."

* * *

The next two days of training passed by quickly, as they usually seemed to do. There was not enough time in the world to prepare all of them for the Games again. Three days of training may as well have been a few minutes for all the good it did. Some of them made the most of it though. Katniss did her best to be nice and make friends, she spent time with everyone in those days. Each time Kailani looked over she was training alongside a different tribute. Peeta was exactly the same. The two were trying their best. They even attempted to make nice with the likes of Enoboria and Brutus. It was a good effort, but rather pointless. Those two were clearly prepared to kill and honestly they were probably going to enjoy doing it too. After basically achieving nothing in her first day of training, Kailani got stuck into it for the last two, utilising mainly the combat stations rather than the survival ones. Her spear work was as flawless as ever, her and Finnick teamed to try and teach Katniss and Peeta some basic techniques in case they were stuck with such weapons, but starting from scratch was not easy. It was like when they taught some of the children back home. To be fair, Katniss and Peeta _were_ still children. But at least they were quick learners. In exchange, Katniss gave them a lesson in archery and Peeta gave them tips on camouflage. In their small amount of time in the training centre, they all tried to refresh any of the knowledge they lacked, learn the basics of that which they had no idea and hone the talents they already had into deadly precision. If anything, the bond between them all only became stronger. When they were so close into entering an environment where they had to kill each other, that was not necessarily a good thing. They had their alliance of fourteen which was something, but even if they didn't kill _each other_, there still the large possibility of having to watch their friends die. In fact, it was almost a certainty. Soon, some of the people around them would be dead and there was absolutely nothing they could do about that. But they knew that the moment this had all started, none of them were new to the Hunger Games. It did start to get to them though, in their own little ways. Gloss snapped sparring with Kailani, she could see in his eyes, she'd been with him on enough intimate occasions to know how to read his tells. His blows were harder, his words even sharper as he forced her to use all of her strength, not to "play around". He would kill her if he saw the opportunity, she would do the same but it was still hard. It got to a point where even Cashmere was telling him to cool down, where Finnick wanted to interfere but neither did anything until he knocked her to the ground and pinned her down.

"And now you'd be dead," said Gloss, his eyes dark as he breathed heavily. Kailani winced at the tight hold he had on her.

"We're not in the Games yet, Gloss," snapped Finnick, "How about you tone it down?" Gloss didn't even spare him a glance, just continued to stare down at her before a cruel sneer stretched across his face.

"So caring, but not in the way you want, right Lani?" he whispered, his words meant only for her. Kailani went stiff beneath him and she barely managed to keep the shock from her face as what he said, sunk in. She had told him a lot of things in their time together, and apparently, he had no qualms about throwing them in her face. Honestly though, she had thought he was better than that. Gloss chuckled coldly, and pushed himself to his feet. "You better watch yourself, you'll be killed if you put up a fight like that in the arena."

Kailani dusted herself off, ignoring the small audience that they had attracted. "I don't think that will be a problem," she spat out, giving him a dark look as she stormed past him. She knew what he was doing, she wasn't completely stupid. This was hard on all of them and while she and Gloss had agreed to keep things between them strictly casual, Kailani had to admit, she had a soft spot for him as he did for her, apparently. There would come a time where they might have to kill each other, Gloss was just doing his best to make that easier not just for himself, but for her too and she appreciated that, she did. However, throwing Finnick in her face was just one step too far. Kailani was _seething_, it was only the morphling woman from District Six that soothed her ugly mood, tugging her to the camouflage station. It was difficult to stay mad around those two, the drugs had addled them to the point where they were almost like children with eyes that sparkled with wonder and the time passed quickly as they took to painting her so that she could not be seen amongst the shrubbery. Though, it was quite the effort to scrub off. The shower rooms were empty by time she emerged. Empty, except for one. Gloss sat there, his face set into an unreadable expression as he leaned against the wall.

"I could have sworn this was women-only," said Kailani, coolly, rubbing a towel through her hair.

He shrugged, "There was no one around."

"Oh, well that makes it much better."

Gloss sighed, "I'm sorry about earlier, I…"

"Was a bit of dick?" provided Kailani, raising an eyebrow.

Gloss rolled his eyes. "Yes, I was a bit of a dick. I went too far, but I felt like I had too. Kailani, we're all going into the Hunger Games again, only one person can come out alive and if that person is going to be anyone, it's going to be Cashmere, I can't afford for there to be any other distractions."

Immediately, Kailani could feel herself soften. Gloss was going into those Games completely expecting to die, all he wanted was for his sister to get out, that was all. This time, it wasn't about glory, about pride, it was about protecting someone he loved. "It's okay, Gloss, _I know_." Her voice was soothing, and she placed a hand on his cheek. "Besides, we agreed this was all for fun, remember? Nothing else, nothing more, just some fun, just a way to relive the stress."

There was a gleam in an eye, and in an instant, he tugged her down onto his lap. "That's right, and come to think of it, I am feeling a bit stressed," he said, his voice low.

Kailani laughed, "Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah, that's so." His mouth crashed into hers, and she moaned. There was a very real chance she was going to be late for dinner.

The final day of training ended with the private sessions. Each tribute had fifteen minutes before the Gamemakers to show off their skills and talents. Later that night they would broadcast their individual scores, ranging from one to twelve. Only about half of them were planning to take it at all seriously. At lunch there was a lot of joking about what they were going to do. Sing, dance, strip, Kailani was considering just sitting down and staring at the Gamemakers until they felt uncomfortable. She knew though that she was just going to go in there, pick up a spear and spin it around a bit until they dismissed her. She didn't really care about her score, everyone already knew what she was capable of. She could get a score of one and she wouldn't care. They must have been feeling generous, because they gave her a nine. Not even she could contain her shock though when the scores for Katniss and Peeta came in. Both of them had scored twelves, making Hunger Games history.

Asher shook his head at the television screen, "I don't know what they did in there but this is their punishment. The Gamemakers wanted them to be made targets, " he said, as Mags nodded her head in agreement.

"No doubt about that," said Kailani, "But why bother? All of us will be able to see through it."

"Because they're idiots," stated Finnick, simply.

No one could argue with that. The tributes wouldn't be fooled, the Gamemakers were unwittingly showing _their own_ cards. They wanted District Twelve targeted, so in other words, they wanted Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark dead. Their job in the arena just became that much harder.

* * *

Kailani blanched, "They want to do _what!?_" Her eyes went wide and she could barely believe what she was hearing. Maybe the water was running harder than she thought and she had misheard, because there was no way they were planning to do something as insane as that.

Finnick watched her in amusement, "Destroy the arena," he repeated. Again, the two sat on the floor of his bathroom. Now that training had finished, they had the entire day to themselves. Interviews were not until tomorrow night and they needed no counsel on how to play them. They already had a good idea of what they were going to do. For the whole day they were able to do nothing but be themselves and enjoy what little time they had left. They planned on making the most of that opportunity. Their role in the Games had to be sorted out first though.

She shook her head, unbelievably. "How?" she breathed.

"We were right, Beetee has something to do with it. I'm not a hundred percent about the details though. It'll be clearer once we're in there."

"And then what? What the hell do _we_ do once the arena's been destroyed?"

"There will be a hovercraft to pick us up. The bread we receive from the sponsors will tell us when and where, with the district it's from indicating the day, and the number we're given the hour."

Kailani shook her head, her mind reeling. It was a risky plan, but if everything went right, it _could_ work.

"This is insane," she muttered.

"But it's better than nothing," Finnick grinned, echoing her words from the other day.

Kailani smiled, "Yes, I suppose it is."

Their day off might have been considerably more enjoyable had they been allowed to do anything. Their options were rather confined. They missed the ocean, the smell of salt in the air, _the freedom_. They had gone up to the roof, there was at least some space up there, and Johanna joined them. It was already occupied though. Katniss and Peeta were there. Johanna would have been _happy_ to interrupt them, they didn't own the roof she said. But Kailani thought it was best to leave them be. They were young, let them have their time. Instead, they went to the ground floor. There were Peacekeepers everywhere, watching their every move, it was hardly relaxing, but they _tried_ to enjoy themselves. And they did- for a little while. Surprisingly, it was Kailani who had gotten fed up first. Between the suspicious Peacekeepers, the looks Johanna kept giving her and Finnick in general, she just couldn't handle it for any longer. She stormed off without a word.

* * *

"Did I miss something?" asked Finnick, as Kailani disappeared into the elevator.

Johanna rolled her eyes. She wanted to yell at him until he realised that yes, he was missing something. He was such a fool. They both were. He and Kailani were as bad as each other. For once, she held her tongue though. "Just the stress getting to her," she answered, casually.

Finnick sighed, "I should talk to her."

She wouldn't give away much though, they both knew that. Johanna could see the hesitation written across his features, the way he glanced at the elevator, the way his feet shifted. As much as he wanted to help her, he wanted to be rejected even less.

"Yes, you should," she said, her tone softer than usual. Finnick looked at her surprised and realising her mistake she cleared her throat, "You know, otherwise _I'll_ have to be the one to deal with her and I've dealt with enough of her drama for a lifetime."

He raised an eyebrow, "What drama?"

Johanna could have kicked herself. For _years_ she had managed to keep her mouth shut, she hadn't let anything slip, whether it be intentional or an accident, she had said nothing. Until now. Going back into the Hunger Games and the fact that it was only days away, must have affected her more than she realised. She would never have said something so obvious before. Maybe knowing that they were all going into this together, that they could all be dead in a matter of days was what messed with her brain. Johanna was not concerned with herself so much as Finnick and Kailani. She had no family, they were all dead, but she did have those two. The only two who would put up with all her shit to find something more. _They_ were like her family now, her best friends and while she would never say anything so sappy out loud, she was glad she had them in her life. Maybe the reason she had slipped up was because, before they all tried to kill each other, she wanted Finnick to know the truth and Kailani to not have to lie. Deep down, she was sure Finnick knew Kailani kept something from him. He may have deluded himself otherwise, but she was _so sure_ he knew. And Kailani, the secrets, the lies, they ate away at her. She seemed to feel worse about them every year she saw her. The Capitol was already taking away their right to live in peace, and now she realised, they were also taking away any chance Finnick and Kailani had to be together. The possibility, while small, was there. Perhaps in a few years when Kailani found the courage to man up and tell Finnick everything, something could have happened. But not anymore. One of them or both could die in that arena. Even with the chance of a few of them, rather than just one, making it out alive, the odds most certainly, were _not_ in their favour. If anything, Johanna's anger at the Capitol, and above all else, the President, only intensified. It burned underneath her skin and she longed to have an axe in her grip. Finnick looked at her expectantly, and Johanna resisted the urge to cringe. Then again, that anger would pale in comparison to Kailani's if she didn't fix her mistake, and fix it quickly.

Johanna waved an unconcerned hand through the air, "Oh, just the usual. You know, grabby politicians and all that crap," she said.

Finnick's gaze darkened "What?"

"Nothing for you to worry about, Finnick." She shoved him into the elevator and pressed the numbers of their floors, the same as their respective districts. "Just go and talk to her." There was a ding and the door slid open. "_Go._"

He sighed, "Yeah, okay. I'll see you tomorrow, Johanna." Finnick called behind him, giving a half-hearted wave. The door closed again and she let out a breath of relief. That was way too close. She hoped Finnick didn't rat her out. She was in no mood to be murdered during her interview. Then again, she thought bitterly, she supposed the crowd would find it entertaining.

* * *

Finnick didn't even bother to acknowledge Mags and Asher as he entered the room. His eyes sought out only one person and she was not there. His shoulders slumped, he didn't understand. One moment Kailani had been fine, the next she was angry. It didn't make sense. He had the feeling Johanna knew something, but if she did she wasn't saying anything. This was not what he needed. This was not what _any of them_ needed just two days before they entered the Hunger Games.

"If you're looking for Kailani," said Asher, his voice unreadable, "She's not here. She came in, and then left."

Finnick sighed. "Do you know where she went?"

"Nope."

"Thanks," he muttered, grumpily.

Well, there was nothing he could do but wait for her to get back. Finnick was halfway down the hall, almost out of hearing distance, when again, Asher spoke up, "And might I suggest fixing what the hell it is you did, and quickly. You shouldn't be distracted in there, it will get you killed."

As if he didn't already know that, and to be fair, _he_ wasn't the one who had made her angry. At least, not that he was aware of. But Finnick was in no mood to argue. "Got it."

She didn't get back for another two hours, and when she did, it was only the sound of the shower that alerted him to her presence. Without even bothering to knock, he stepped into Kailani's room. Again, she was nowhere in sight. The worry gnawed at his insides, and perhaps he should have waited, but Finnick was feeling impatient, he couldn't help but bash on her bathroom door. "Kailani?" he called.

There was no answer, and he knocked again. He knocked and knocked until finally the door swung open, and Kailani peered out. Her hair was dripping wet and a towel was wrapped around her body. He definitely should have taken his own advice and waited.

"Yes?" she ground out.

"Um, I just wanted to talk to you."

She raised an eyebrow, "Right this very second?"

"Well-"

"Just wait Finnick, after my shower we can talk." She gave him a comforting smile. "I promise."

Kailani disappeared back into the bathroom. Well, at least he knew she wasn't too angry with _him_. She would have been much snappier if she were.

So, he waited. Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. Thirty. An hour. Until finally, she emerged, the scent of flowers filling the room.

"Oh, Finnick, you weren't supposed to stay," she chided, spotting him spread out on her bed.

He grinned, he didn't mind, her bed was nice and comfortable. Besides, it was not as if he had anything else to do.

"You did say to wait."

She rolled her eyes, running a brush through her hair, "That wasn't what I meant."

Pushing himself up into a sitting position, Finnick stared at her. She seemed a lot calmer now, her annoyance having disappeared. If anything was still bothering her she hid it well. Her eyes caught his in the mirror and she paused in her movements. "What?" she asked.

"Are you okay?"

A look of confusion crossed her face, "Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?"

"Um, maybe because you stormed off a few hours ago. What was that about, and where have you been?"

She sighed, putting the brush down and turning to look at him. "It was so tense down there, with the Peacekeepers and everything, I suppose it just got to me. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left like I did. I went up to the roof and tried not to interrupt Peeta and Katniss' little picnic, I needed the fresh air."

He shook his head, "It's okay, you don't need to apologise, darling. We should never have gone down there." A grin spread over his features, "But hey, we still have the rest of the day, right?" Her eyes sparkled as she nodded. "There's been enough angst already, let's have some fun."

And they did. It was like they were six year-olds again, free and innocent, running about as if nothing mattered. Mags watched over them fondly. For the rest of the day they pushed the dark thoughts looming in their minds to the deepest recesses of their brains and locked them away. They could be dealt with tomorrow. As the sun set and the sky darkened outside their windows, Finnick ordered them a feast of food and they all had a picnic in his room, even Mags and Asher joined them. Kailani fiddled with the settings of the control panel until the sounds of the ocean filled the room and light breaths of air blew through their hair. If they closed their eyes, it was almost as if they were home again.

* * *

Unfortunately, they weren't, and Kailani had never been gladder to see Gloss lying lazily atop her bed, waiting for her. He wore no shirt, and she had no issues with staring at him. He really was a sight to behold, and he absolutely knew it. "I thought we agreed earlier would be the last," she said, closing the door behind her.

He shrugged. "We did, but I decided it wasn't enough."

Kailani shook her head as he pulled her down next to him. "You are so spoiled."

His blue eyes gleamed, mischievously. "I know." His lips pushed against hers firmly, and she melted in an instant.

It really had not been a part of her plan, spending her last night with him of all people. Something told her it wasn't exactly his either, but they didn't complain. They had helped each other through a lot, this was no different. Except that it was, they couldn't help it, but it was. It was more desperate, neither wanting to let go. There had always been an unspoken rule between them they would never stay, that they would never get too close but it seemed pointless now given that they would be walking to their deaths. At least, he was. District One probably hadn't even been approached to join an alliance in keeping Katniss alive, they were too untrustworthy. She leaned her head against his chest, and sighed. Kailani almost thought they should have done this more often, stayed with each other, actually acted like normal human beings rather than the ruined ones they were. A single sheet covered them both, and with his fingers combing through her hair, Kailani found herself dozing off. It was comfortable, it was warm, _it was nice_.

"What are you thinking?" asked Gloss, quietly.

Her hand found his and she twined their fingers together. "That we should have done this more often," she said.

"Finnick probably would have found out if we had, my sister too."

Kailani rolled her eyes. "Please, your sister already knows. Nothing gets past her."

Gloss chuckled. "Good point, but Finnick…"

"Yes, he probably would have found out," she agreed. Kailani pushed herself up on his chest, ignoring the fact that the sheet covered only her bottom half. His eyes flickered to her exposed breasts, and she poked him.

"Hey! Ow, that hurt you know."

"He would have found out," she continued, "But I wouldn't have cared."

Gloss raised an eyebrow at that. "You love him."

"And he loves Annie. I couldn't have pined over him forever, I love him a lot less when I'm with you."

He stared at her, thoughtfully. "Could you ever have loved me?"

Kailani tried to keep the surprise off of her face, this wasn't the Gloss she was used too but there was no use lying to him. "Yes."

"As much as him?"

His eyes watched her, waiting to see what her reaction would be. She knew he had seen what he had expected too. Gently, she placed a hand against his cheek. "You're the only one that could ever have come close." He flashed her a small smile. The first genuine thing she had ever seen him done, she was much more used to smirks and scowls from him. Her face twisted into a frown. "But I thought we weren't meant to be doing feelings, Gloss. You're making me break all of our rules tonight."

"Sorry, it seemed like a good time." He leaned up and kissed her lightly on the lips. She groaned, and allowed him to pull her back down against him. That was when the door slid open, and someone swore. Kailani shot up in an instant, and Finnick gaped.

"Finnick! What the hell do you-"

Gloss cleared his throat, loudly. "Babe, sheet," he reminded.

She looked down and cursed, tugging the sheet up around herself. "Get out, I'll deal with you in a minute." Finnick however, didn't move. He was frozen, his eyes switching between her and Gloss at rapid pace. Kailani glared at him, furiously. Some people _really_ had to learn how to knock, even him. "_Finnick._"

"Go on Odair, out you go," said Gloss, cockily, waving him out.

Kailani could feel a headache coming on. "I'm naked, Finnick. Please get out of my room." As if in a trance, he did as he was asked. There was an almost horrified look in his eyes as the door slid closed behind him and she sighed.

"Well, would you look at that, you were right, he did find out because I stayed."

The irony of the situation was not lost on her. "You better go," said Kailani, getting up to find her clothes, "I'm going to have to talk to him, besides you wouldn't want Cashmere to start questioning you, because you know she will."

He couldn't argue with that. They moved around the room in a well-practiced silence, finding their clothes, righting themselves. It was routine they knew well, but this time, Kailani couldn't just let him leave with a smirk and cool remark. They weren't just mentors anymore, they were tributes going into the games for yet another turn and he knew that as well as she did. He hovered by the door, awkward for once.

"You know, this can't change anything, _it won't_," he said, firmly. "I'll kill you if I see the chance, I expect you to do the same."

She nodded, "I will, but…" Kailani hesitated. She was treading into dangerous waters, but it was just something she had to do, she had to give him the chance. "You don't _have_ to take the path laid out for you, you know."

"What are you-"

"Just listen to me. This won't be like the other years, it won't be like the times we won, it will be different and you can make a better decision. Not just for you, but for your sister as well." For everyone, she thought, but didn't say that out loud. She had already said too much as it was. "Don't forget that, okay?" His eyes narrowed, as if trying to see the deeper meaning and nodded, slowly. Kailani let out a breath of air, and pushed up onto her toes to kiss him one last time. His hand wrapped around her waist, and it might have gone further had she not pushed him away. "I'll see you at the interviews." She opened the door, and with only a passing glance towards Finnick, Gloss left the apartment. Rather unwillingly, she stepped aside to allow Finnick in the room. He could barely even make eye contact with her. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I probably should have knocked," he muttered, sullenly. His head snapped up, and he looked at her, disapprovingly. "But Gloss, 'Lani, _really_? The guy's a tool."

"He has his moments," she agreed, "But it's none of your business."

"It is if it's him."

She knew she was supposed to be smoothing things over with him, it would have made everything so much easier but she was tired, and she definitely was not as comfortable as she had been ten minutes ago. Normally, she would act like the perfect best friend, be nothing but a bottle of sunshine but tonight she just wasn't in the mood. So, she decided to rub it in just that little bit more instead. "It's not like this was the first time, this has been happening for years."

Finnick blanched, "_What?_"

"Look, it was casual, we had our fun on occasion, what's the problem with that?"

"The problem!? The problem is that-"

"No, we're not going to do this. Look, Gloss and I are both going into these games, we know where we stand we just had to get whatever we felt out and be done with it, and it's done, so how about you drop it, okay?"

Finnick frowned, but nodded his head nonetheless. They didn't have the time to be arguing, and he knew it.

* * *

Too quickly did the new day come and too quickly were they all ushered off to get ready for their interviews. The prep team tugged and pulled at her hair, and Kailani sighed. It was going to be a long day. She had a headache, Finnick was still slightly awkward after last night, she was just in a foul mood altogether. Some of the others still held the hope that they could put an end to this ridiculous Quell, that perhaps if the crowds turned against it enough they would be called off. It was unlikely, but they could still turn the crowd against the government in general. Snow made a grave mistake bringing them all together, before they turned on each other, they would stand united against _him_, against the Games and against everything he stood for. One day, whether it be later on tonight, or sometime in the future, Snow would realise his mistake. Until then, they just had to keep fighting. Kailani was prodded, poked, pinched, pulled, painted, but finally, after hours of work and being treated like a doll, she was done. And even she had to admit, looking at herself in the mirror, she _looked good_. She wore a blue, floor-length, satin dress that fell over the curves of her body and pooled at her feet like water. The neckline plunged low, and the back was open revealing more than enough skin to please the crowd. Her hair was left out this time, the long strands curling down her back smoothly, and her make-up matched the dress perfectly, shades of blue used on her eyes, lips and nails. She really did look stunning, and judging by Finnick's momentary loss of composure, he thought so too. She grinned, well, she always had been good at the interview.

* * *

"Thank you, thank you!" smiled Caesar Flickerman, his hair and face highlighted lavender for this particular year's Games. "Thank you for being here tonight, on the eve of the 75th Hunger Games!" The crowd let out a loud roar.

The tributes had all gathered off stage as Caesar began his usual spiel. A large screen on the wall broadcasted the video feed live for them to watch as they waited. One by one, or perhaps in pairs if they preferred, Caesar would call them out, they would have their allocated three minutes and then would move on to stand on the large stage behind them. It was quite straightforward, really. Katniss and Peeta were the last tributes to arrive, and the others all fell silent as they did. Their eyes fell to her dress, glaring daggers at it. Whether it was from envy or something else, she had no idea. She supposed the dress she wore wasn't just any dress, it was a wedding dress. It was _her_ wedding dress.

"We have never seen anything like this and we will never see anything like it again," continued Caesar, his voice low and dramatic, leaving the crowd hanging on his every word, "Because tonight, on this stage, twenty-four of Panem's brightest stars will vie for the ultimate crown. Tonight will be their final opportunity to express their thoughts and our final opportunity to express our love, and heartbreakingly, say goodbye to all but one."

Finnick was the first to break the silence, "I can't believe Cinna put you in that thing."

"He didn't have any choice," defended Katniss. It was not Cinna's fault and she would not let him be criticised. "President Snow made him."

Cashmere tossed her flowing blonde locks back, "Well, you look ridiculous," she spat, grabbing her brother's hand and pulling him into position to walk out on stage.

Kailani smiled at her sympathetically. Katniss was confused, the tributes seemed to be torn between anger and sympathy. Johanna Mason even stopped to fix her necklace before her dark eyes looked at her seriously, "Make him pay for it, okay?"

Despite not having any idea of what she meant, Katniss nodded.

Caesar looked between Cashmere and Gloss, only the first interview and already the air was sombre. "You became everyone's brother and sister," he said, sincerely, "I don't know how we're going to let you go."

Gloss leaned around his tearful sister, his face as composed as it could be, "We're not going by choice." Caesar wanted to sigh, so _this_ was how the night was going to go. He couldn't say he was surprised. "You are our family and I don't see how anyone can love us better."

Cashmere let out a tiny sob and Caesar immediately turned to her, "Are you alright, dear?"

She shook her head, trying to find the right words, "I just- I can't help thinking about how many people in the Capitol must be suffering because they are going to lose us." The tears streamed down her face, "It breaks my heart."

It was only when the interviews began did the understanding set in for Katniss. The looks of anger, how they felt. Every one of the victors that surrounded her felt betrayed, felt cheated that they had been recalled into the competition. Their feelings ran deep but they were careful, and so wonderfully smart at how they played it. Their words always came back to the government and President Snow. These people were still fighting their situation. And if they were still fighting, then so would she.

"Beetee," began Caesar, "You have contributed so much to Panem over the years, I don't know who we will miss more, you or your brain." The crowd laughed, but the male victor of District Three would have none of his attempts to lighten the mood. There may have been seem of them unwilling or unable to defy the Capitol, but he was not one of them.

"The Quarter Quell were written into law by men," he said, his voice firm despite the twitching, "Certainly, it can be unwritten."

Caesar struggled to find a way to spin those words into a positive light, into something less accusing towards the Capitol. He could come up with nothing. The members of the crowd were muttering amongst each other. Caesar nodded, "Yes, interesting concept," he managed.

Finnick looked over at Kailani, "You're next," he said, "You ready?"

She met his gaze, "Always."

"Kailani, your smile usually brightens up any room, " said Caesar, eyeing the solemn woman before him, "I'm not sure I've ever seen you without it, _except_ for this evening, tell us, why is that?"

She let out a long sigh, "Well, Caesar, I could try, but I think everyone here would know it isn't genuine. I do not want to lie to any of you, not tonight. You see, I'm worried. I'm worried for my dear mother. You all know who she is, did you also know she turned eighty-two this year?" Caesar nodded. "With me going into the Games again, and Finnick as well, I worry about what will become of her when we are gone." A horrified silence had settled over the audience, and if Caesar looked close enough he could see that many had begun to cry. "We have done this before and the odds are in our favour even less than they were they first time around." She turned out to the crowd, her eyes filled with sadness. "I doubt I will be seeing any of you again. To all I have met, to all I was going to meet and to all who would see this farce ended, it has been a pleasure."

Many of the other victors nodded their heads approvingly. With every interview that passed the crowd was becoming increasingly more distressed. Their plan was working exactly as they had hoped it would.

"Finnick, I understand that you have a message for somebody out there, a special somebody," said Caesar, "Can we hear it?"

The heartthrob of Panem stared straight into the lens of the camera, his face almost pained, "My love," he began, "You have my heart, for all eternity. If- if I die in that arena, my last thought will be of your lips."

Kailani battled to keep her face carefully blank of emotion. She knew the camera would be on her after that, they just never seemed to get the message despite their constant denials that they _were not_ together. It was him and Annie, she knew that at least a few of them knew that. Annie. The guilt she was so good at ignoring rushing back with such force she almost cringed. It gnawed at her insides and Finnick coming to stand next to her did not help one bit. She felt sick.

"We have seen a lot of tears here tonight," Caesar began, "But I see no tear's in Johanna's eyes. Johanna, you are angry, tell me why."

She laughed bitterly, "Well, yes. I'm angry. You know, I'm getting totally screwed over here. The deal was that if I won the Hunger Games, I got to live the rest of my life in peace. But now, _you want to kill me again_. Well, you know what? Fuck that!" she screamed, "And fuck everybody who had anything to do with it!"

Both Katniss and Peeta couldn't help but gape at the screen as Johanna walked off to join the others. No one but them seemed surprised at her outburst, it was as if they had expected it. They understood that she was angry, but to so out rightly attack the President for his actions. They couldn't decide if she was brave or stupid.

By the time Katniss was introduced, the audience was an absolute wreck. People had been weeping, collapsing, yelling and even calling for change. The sight of her in her white silk bridal gown nearly saw a riot break out. Almost all of her time had been spent by time they quietened enough to hear her talk.

"So, Katniss," started Caesar, "Obviously this is a very emotional night for everyone. Is there anything you would like to say?"

"Only that I'm sorry you won't get to be at my wedding," she said, her voice trembling, "But I'm glad you at least get to see me in my dress. Isn't it just the most beautiful thing?" She began to twirl slowly. That's when it happened. It began to change. Tendrils of fire ate its way up from the bottom of the dress, changing white to black, but having no effect on Katniss herself. When the smoke cleared, that's when they all realised what she was. Black wings spread out from behind her, the feathers ruffling as they stretched. Cinna had turned her into the Mockingjay.

From the look on Caesar's face, he knew exactly what it was and furthermore, the message behind it, but he did his best to brush past it. The victors too, knew what it meant. Some of them exchanged brief glances. Cinna was playing a dangerous game.

Peeta and Caesar shared their usual banter in the last interview of the night. Katniss and his feelings for her and the Quell were a running theme throughout. He even revealed that they were in fact already married, and that they had had a traditional ceremony back home, just the two of them. It was a conversation going much smoother than the others had.

Caesar put a comforting arm around the young tribute's shoulders. "I must confess, I'm glad you two had at least a few months of happiness together."

Peeta shook his head, "I'm not," he said, "I wish we had waited until the whole thing was done officially."

Caesar looked taken aback, "Surely even a brief time is better than no time?"

"Maybe I'd think that too, Caesar," he said, bitterly, "If it weren't for the baby."

It took a moment, where everyone was in a kind of shocked silence, and then the bomb exploded. Accusations of injustice and barbarism and cruelty flew in every direction. The crowd moaned and shrieked and cried. Despite his best efforts, Caesar could not rein them back in again. Peeta joined the other victors and immediately took Katniss' hand in his own. That's when it happened. Along the line, all the victors began to join hands, join as one. A few, like Enoboria and Brutus were unsure, but too caught up in the demands of those around them to refuse. For the first time since what must have been the Dark Days, there was a public show of unity among the districts. And the government realised it too. As they raised their joined hands in the air, the cameras stopped rolling and the lights went out, plunging them all into darkness. But it was too late.

Everyone had already seen.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5:**

"Oh my god," breathed Kailani, striding into their apartment, "It's insane out there! They've lost their minds!" She looked out of the window to the streets below.

Finnick followed behind her, "What did you expect? The girl is pregnant. It changes everything."

There were people everywhere, all of them gathering in large groups outside the Training Centre, and even on the fourth floor they could hear their protests. "He won't call off the Games though. Snow won't admit defeat," she said.

"No, he won't," agreed Finnick.

As soon as the light went out, all hell broke loose. Civilians and Peacekeepers filled the stage. There was pushing and shoving, yells and screams. They had to fight their way through to make it to the elevator and get out of there. It was complete and utter chaos.

Kailani glanced towards the doors anxiously. Her mother was still out there. When half an hour passed and she and Asher were still missing, she began pacing. Finnick was about to go out there and look for them where there was a ding, and the two emerged from the elevator, frazzled, but otherwise alright.

"Oh, thank god," said Kailani, a breath of relief leaving her.

"Where have you been?" Finnick enquired, concern written across his features. Mags was looking rather pale.

"Trying to get back!" snapped Asher, "It wasn't easy, you know. You two are tributes, I reckon it was probably a bit easier for both of you."

Finnick scoffed, "Not really," he stated, dryly. They had been bombarded more than anyone else, of that he was sure.

Asher sighed, he knew this was no time to be arguing. "You should both be getting to bed, you didn't need to wait up for us. You have a big day tomorrow."

Finnick and Kailani exchanged looks. This was it, the time to say goodbye. They would not see them in the morning, this was their one and only chance. Tension filled every corner of the room.

Kailani gave a small smile. Well, they could never have avoided this moment forever. "We're glad you could come with us, Ash. Really, we are." She glanced sideways at Finnick, "You've helped us a lot over the years, we could not have asked for anyone better to mentor us."

Asher shuffled his feet, awkwardly, "You kids never really needed my help," he muttered, "Not then and not now. You both knew exactly what you needed to do, just like you do this time around." His discomfort with the conversation was obvious to everyone.

"We did and we do," agreed Finnick, "But we're thankful towards you nonetheless. We've known you our entire lives, we're glad you're here now as well."

There was a long moment where Asher didn't move. He seemed to be battling with himself about something, and then, he must have come to some kind of decision because he moved forwards and engulfed both of them in a hug. Finnick chuckled and Kailani smiled. He acted tough, but really, he was just a big softie inside.

"You kids look out for each other," he said, pulling away.

Finnick nodded obediently, "Always."

Mags hobbled forwards, slow but determined. She placed a hand on both Finnick and Kailani's faces, her eyes sad but accepting. She knew there was nothing she could have done about this, about the Games, about their being reaped. "I love you both," she whispered, in her near unintelligible voice that they had long since learned to understand, "So much."

Kailani hugged her mother tightly, placing a light kiss to her cheek before Finnick did the same. He and Mags were rather close, had been for years. She was family to him, had looked after him for a long time. He would miss her as much as her daughter would. No other words between the four were said though. There was nothing else they _could_ say. _Goodbye_ sounded too final, they had said all that they needed to say and anything else that they just couldn't bring themselves to speak out loud, they said with their eyes. That would have to be enough.

Kailani looked to Finnick, "I'll see you tomorrow," she said. Her eyes flickered to Mags and Asher one more time and then with a deep breath, she turned on the spot and disappeared down the hallway. Quietly, Finnick trailed after her. Without a word they went their separate ways. There was nothing they had to say to each other, nothing that would be at all appropriate the night before they went into the arena to fight for their lives, _to fight for the rebellion_. They had said enough over the last few days, there was nothing else now. Tributes entered the arena alone, but they would see one another soon enough. They had a plan, and they were intent on keeping to it. So, they said nothing. They went to their rooms, showered and crawled into bed. It was as simple as that. Thoughts and scenarios filled their minds, but they pushed them aside. More than anything, they needed their rest. Sleep was imperative, no matter how difficult it was to find it.

As soon as dawn broke, Kailani was awake and ready. She did not need the wakeup call from her stylist, she had already set an alarm for herself. Her eyes snapped open, her mind started into gear. This was it, the day had come, everything they had been preparing for. The 75th Hunger Games. The Third Quarter Quell. This was the day their battle for survival begun.

* * *

Finnick mounted the ladder to the hovercraft with ease, the electric current freezing him in his place. His face was blank as a doctor inserted the tracker into his arm and the hovercraft took off. Every tribute would go through the same process, the Gamemakers wanted to be able to locate them throughout the arena. They didn't want to lose anyone in there, that could make their attempts to kill them much more difficult. They didn't want to lose anyone in there and let them have a free run. No, that would be too kind. As they waited for the launch, his stylist looked over this year's outfit for the tributes. It was a skin tight bodysuit of some kind, that zipped up from the back. The material was light, that it might provide some protection from the sun, but not much, and it would do nothing to keep out the cold or repel water. A belt strapped around the middle, perhaps to hold weapons, it couldn't have held any other purpose. Unfortunately, the outfit didn't gave away very much. But that was no matter, he would see for himself what they were up against. It was only a matter of time. A voice warning him to get ready for launch sounded in his ears, and with no hesitation whatsoever, stepped onto the circular metal plate. Glass lowered down around him, and his muscles tightened in anticipation as suddenly, the plate began to rise.

Brightness filled her vision, and Kailani had to blink a few times before her vision cleared. But when it did, the most beautiful sight she had ever seen met her eyes. Water. Blue and churning, the waves lapping underneath her. She was surrounded by it. They all were.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the 75th Hunger Games begin!" The voice of Claudius Templesmith, the Hunger Games announcer, thundered through the arena. In less than a minute, the gong would sound and all the tributes would be free to move. Kailani spotted the Cornucopia, golden and shining, placed in the very centre of them all. That was where she and Finnick had agreed to meet. Thin strips of land radiated from the small island the Cornucopia sat on, about ten to twelve, they were like spokes on a wheel, all at an equal distance from each other. Between the spokes was water, not flat or still, but full of waves, and in the middle, upon their metal plates, a pair of tributes. There were two options, you either swim in, towards the Cornucopia, or out, towards the dense jungle that lay behind them. Kailani knew exactly where she was going to go. The smell of salt filled the air and she breathed deep, this arena was not one that would work well for many, but for District Four, it was perfect. Suddenly, the odds had swung in their favour. The gong sounded, loud and echoing. She leapt into the water, as straight and true as an arrow. The Hunger Games had well and truly begun.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6:**

Katniss did not hesitate as she dived into the water. She knew there was no way she would be able to swim all the way to the Cornucopia, it was too far for her. Instead, she went left, in the direction of the land strip, and even that was a larger distance than she was used too. Navigating the waves was vastly different to the still lake she swum back home. But strangely, she cut through the water effortlessly. Her body felt light, and quickly, she reached the land strip and pulled herself out. Dripping wet, she sprinted down the sandy stretch for the Cornucopia. Most of the other tributes were still struggling in the water when she made it to the entrance. But they were of no concern to her, the most important thing was to get her hands on a weapon. That was the first step. Unlike last year when all the supplies were spread out through the Cornucopia, this year, everything was piled towards the front, and right in front of her, a bow and a sheath of arrows. It seemed like the Gamemakers had provided them with only weapons this time around. Quickly, she slung the arrows over her back, the bow clutched tightly in her hand. Something shifted in the air, and the hairs on the back of her neck pricked up. Katniss froze. Someone behind her. With lightning fast movements, she pulled an arrow from her sheath and armed her bow as she turned to face her enemy. She recognised him immediately. It was Finnick, glistening and gorgeous, with a trident poised to attack. She was hardly surprised.

* * *

He held his wrist up, where a gold bracelet glistened innocently in the sunlight. In all the drama of last night, Haymitch had managed to find him and give it to him. He said to claim it as his token and show it to Katniss when he found her, that she would understand. Finnick was going to assume he was right because she hadn't let her arrow fly yet.

"I think we're allies," he said, his voice careful.

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Where did you get that?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Where do you think?" There was a flash of movement behind her and he tensed, "Get down!" he commanded. Katniss immediately ducked and as the male tribute from District Five pounced, he threw his trident. The weapon hit with such force it knocked him from his feet. He hit the ground with a trident imbedded in his chest. "Don't trust One and Two," he stated.

"That's not very nice," said a voice, it was Cashmere. She raised an eyebrow, a dagger in hand. Katniss pulled back her arrow, but before she could, the tribute from District One threw her dagger. It landed in the throat of the woman from District Five, just about to launch herself at Finnick. He gaped at her, and she didn't stop him as he moved to grab another trident, as well as a double-ended spear.

"What is this? What are you doing?" he asked.

Her face softened, as Gloss skidded into the Cornucopia, his hair dripping, his eyes sharp. "We're making the better choice," she said, simply. The other Careers, what was left of them, were getting close now. Finnick eyed the brother and sister suspiciously, as Katniss sent an arrow flying towards Enoboria, which as she dived into the water, missed its mark. Cashmere and Gloss had never been a part of the plan, but perhaps they could be useful. After all, they had helped them and even that, was something out of style for them. If they wanted them dead, they would be trying to kill them now. Another arrow whizzed past him, but it missed its target.

"We should go," said Gloss, "We'll all be killed if we stay here." As much as it pained him, he was right. Again, he looked around.

"But Kailani isn't here," he said, despite himself. Gloss glanced at him, and frowned.

Something must have happened, she would have been here by now otherwise. The water played into their advantage, if anything, she should have reached the Cornucopia first. She would not have even bothered with the land strips, she would have dived into the water and stayed there, swimming all the way. She was quicker than he was, she should have been here by now. He looked around, but still there was no sight of her. Something else caught his attention though, Brutus was barrelling towards them, like a tank.

"Do something about that, would you?" said Cashmere, glancing at Katniss. Wordlessly, she strung her bow and sent an arrow towards him, but he dived out of the way and into the water. "We can't stay here," she repeated, firmly. "Grab what you want and let's get out of here."

Katniss claimed another sheath of arrows, as well as a few knives as did Cashmere and Gloss. It was still a dangerous play to trust them, but for now, he wouldn't argue with it. Finnick knew exactly where Katniss would head next. Peeta still stood atop his metal plate, stranded. Obviously, he could not swim. Katniss took off and the three of them followed without question. Apparently, he wasn't the only one unsurprised. District 2, all that was left of the Careers, made it to the Cornucopia and pulled themselves to shore. Katniss began stripping herself of the weapons she had collected, meaning to jump into the water, but Finnick stopped her, putting a hand on her shoulder, "I'll get him."

Peeta was shaking his head, pointing at the spoke behind them, but none of them noticed. Hesitation crossed Katniss' features, "I can," she insisted.

He ignored her, dropping his weapons to the ground, "Better not to exert yourself. Not in your condition," he said, reaching down to pat her abdomen. Allowing a pregnant girl into the Games, that was the government sinking to an entirely new level of low. "Cover me," he said, before pushing off from the edge and diving into the sea perfectly. He didn't even wait for her to respond. It did not take him long to reach Peeta, a few long strokes and he was there. The District Twelve male shook his head, "What are you doing!?" he yelled, "I could have waited!" Well, that wasn't the reception Finnick had been expecting.

"What?" he said, his face twisted in confusion.

Peeta pointed at the spoke over from them, behind Katniss. "Kailani is over there! She's been fighting the guy from Nine since the gong sounded!"

Finnick felt all the air leave him. The water had been fairly still before, there were waves, and movement of course, but nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. He could have sworn that no one was in there anymore, that the tributes that had been there had already escaped. He was wrong. They must have been under the water because they had resurfaced now, someone clearly trying to gain the upper hand on the other. Katniss turned her bow to them, but Finnick knew she wouldn't find a clear shot, they were moving around too much, spraying water into the air. Cashmere placed a hand on her arm and made her lower the bow. He swore loudly, he _knew_ something had happened. This was no time to panic though. He looked up at Peeta, "Jump, I'll help you across," he called.

Thankfully, the boy didn't argue. He jumped into the water and Finnick took a hold of him, keeping his head above water and towing him to land. As soon as Peeta had a grip on the rocks, Finnick hauled himself out of the small sea and scrambled across the strip of land to the other side, "Kailani!" he shouted, a tinge of desperation in his voice. She had disappeared again, but someone else was already in the water going after her. Gloss.

* * *

This was not how she thought the beginning of the Games would go. The water was her domain, it should have helped her, not hindered her. Kailani could feel her lungs tighten and she longed to take a breath of air, she needed oxygen, she needed it desperately. She struggled in her enemy's grip, her movements slow and heavy against the wall of water encasing her. Somehow, she managed to escape long enough to break the surface of the water and take large gasps of air.

Kailani had had a plan. As soon as she had seen the water that surrounded them, she knew she was going to swim to the Cornucopia. It was the logical option for her, the point was to play to their strengths, and swimming was her strength. She knew she would make it there faster by water than land. The man across from her, Neron from District Nine had other plans. He must have thought it was the perfect opportunity to take her out, to eliminate a large threat in the Games, because he targeted her especially. He did not dive towards land or the Cornucopia, he dived towards _her_. He would have had only one shot, miss or act too slowly and she would have outswum him easily. He did not miss. Kailani entered the water, but before she could get away, something had grabbed her foot. He was much bigger and stronger than her, and when he dragged her back and his fist connected with her face, she knew she was in trouble. Her mind became fuzzy and her vision blurred, before she knew it his hands were around her throat and he was pushing her underneath the water. She had fought back though, managing to stay alive. Kailani _refused_ to die so pathetically, in her own element at the beginning of the Games. No, she would not allow it. Her lungs still burned, she choked and coughed from all the times he had tried to drown her, her muscles screamed loudly, protesting any further movement, but she ignored all of it.

"Kailani!"

_Finnick. _She didn't look over to him, she could not afford too, but Neron did. He realised now, that he had taken too long to finish the job. He was outnumbered, there was no way he could escape alive. She suspected that had she allowed him the time, that would have made him more desperate in his attempts to kill. But in that millisecond of a moment where he was distracted, Kailani struck out. With every bit of strength she had left, she slammed her fist into the side of his face. His head snapped sideways and ignore the pain in her hand, she launched herself forwards, latching onto his back like an octopus. Her legs wrapped around his waist tightly, and her arms wrapped around his neck in a kind of chokehold. Neron flailed about in her grip, trying to escape, but she refused to let go. Gradually, his movements began to slow, and his limbs became weak. The only reason they stayed afloat was because of the belts they wore, it appeared the Gamemakers didn't want those who couldn't swim to drown. That would have made for a boring start. They bobbed precariously on the water's surface, every now and again tipping at awkward angles. But that was not enough to force Kailani into letting him go. Only when his heart stopped beating and his breathing ceased, did she finally set him free. It wasn't Finnick by her side, then, but Gloss. He wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her upright and she stared at him, blearily.

"What are you-" She coughed, violently and he rubbed a hand across her back.

"I'm following your advice, I've heard it's quite good," said Gloss.

She couldn't believe it, not in the slightest but she was much too tired to continue questioning him. She hadn't even noticed that he had jumped into the water to help her until he was there. Back home, she could happily swim for hours, the time would fly by and still she would not be weary. But this had been different, she had been fighting for her life. She had no weapons, he was bigger than her, it had taken everything she had, every last bit of will, to not let herself be killed. Now, all she felt was drained. She was breathing heavily and her vision spinning as Gloss boosted her out of the water and onto the strip of land. Finnick was there immediately as she collapsed, exhausted. She coughed and spluttered, and as embarrassing as it was vomited too, all the salt water she had swallowed making its presence very much known. Finnick rubbed her back soothingly, "Feeling better?" he asked, as she tried to catch her breath.

Kailani shook her head, "No," she said, hoarsely. But that didn't matter. Not here, not in the arena. Determinedly, she pushed herself to her feet, only to sway dangerously on the spot. Everything was tilting at an unhealthy angle, at least, it was to her. Katniss and Cashmere were the ones who steadied her.

Finnick ran a hand through his damp hair, "We need to go, but you're in no condition to run." His eyes flashed angrily for a moment, as he took in the bruise she could feel forming on her face, and the red marks she was sure covered her throat. He turned away. "So until you are," he said, "I'll carry you."

"Finnick-"

"There's no other choice and you know it. Don't argue with me, just get on."

She frowned and glanced towards the Cornucopia where Enoboria and Brutus had gathered. They did not appear to be in any mood to chase them, but she knew that could change at any moment. She sighed. Unfortunately, it seemed she had no other choice. Finnick would not leave her behind, and she did not want to slow them down. "Fine," she conceded. With as much dignity as she could muster, she climbed onto Finnick's back.

* * *

With Kailani comfortable, albeit still somewhat pale, Finnick handed her a spear, gripped a trident himself, and together, all six of them ran away from the Cornucopia, trying to put as much distance between it and them as possible. Katniss tried hard not to think about Beetee, who they had seen floating in the water struggling to get to land, or Wiress, being left behind. There was no time to recover them and she wasn't entirely sure Finnick wouldn't kill them if they did, she was even less sure about Gloss and Cashmere. The sand ended and woods began to rise sharply. No, not woods. Katniss had seen woods, and this was different. It was more like _jungle_. The trees were unfamiliar, with smooth trunks and few branches. The earth beneath their feet was black and spongy, often obscured by tangles of vines with colourful blossoms. And while the sun shined hot and bright above them, the air is warm and heavy with moisture. Their outfits evaporate of seawater easily, but with the humidity, sweat caused the material to cling to their skin, damp and warm, it was far from a comfortable feeling.

Of the six of them, Peeta was chosen to take the lead as they navigated the inclining terrain, he cut through the patches of dense vegetation with his long knife and created a clear path for them as they walked. Cashmere was second, Finnick third, because even though he is the most powerful, he had his hands full with Kailani draped across his back, Gloss fourth, and her bringing up the rear end. Besides, the trident, a spear, they are weapons less suited to the jungle environment than her bow and arrows were. Between the steep ascent and the heat, it doesn't take long for them to become short of breath. She and Peeta had been training for this kind of thing though, conditioning their bodies and Finnick and Gloss, well, they were both such amazing physical specimens as it was, they climbed two kilometres before Finnick requested a rest. And even then, she suspected it was only because Kailani had made him.

The foliage surrounding them had hidden the wheel from sight by now, and to get their bearings somewhat, Katniss decided it was as good a time as any to see it she could see anything from where they were, see if she could see any of the other tributes. She scaled a tree with rubbery limbs in order to get a better view. Immediately, she wished that she hadn't. Around the Cornucopia, the ground appeared as if it had been bleeding. The water was stained purple, bodies lay on the ground and floated in the sea, but at this distance, Katniss could not tell who it was that had lived or died. In their matching outfits, everyone looked the same. All she could tell for certain was that some of them were still locked in battle. Their tiny figures ran and dodged about. The show of unity the night before, where the victors had all joined hands, meant nothing now. There was no truce in the arena, nor had she expected there to be, but, she had to admit, she did think that perhaps the other victors would show some restraint, or _something_, before they all jumped back into massacre mode. These people knew each other, _they were friends_.

Katniss knew that she had only one friend in the arena. And he was not from District One or Four.

The slight breeze cooled her cheeks and she came to a decision. Haymitch may have been encouraging her to make an alliance with Finnick and Kailani, that they could help them, but Katniss disagreed. She believed there was no future in the alliance, and they were too dangerous to let go, the only option she had left was to kill them but it would be even harder with Cashmere and Gloss her now as well. Those two, they were probably just waiting to kill them all in their sleeps, then again, maybe she had missed something about them. Either way, they were just as dangerous. There was a small amount of trust between them now, perhaps as they walked she could shoot them all from behind, she would have to be quick though. It was awful and despicable, but waiting would only make it worse and with four of them, she would need all the advantage that she could get. She had to do it, and she had to do it now. With one final glance towards the battling figures and blood-stained land, she hardened her resolve and slid to the ground. Finnick was waiting for her, Gloss too. It was as if they had come to some kind of an agreement, a truce perhaps they actually trusted each other now. They became more dangerous by the second. The two must have known what she was going to see, the conclusion she would come too, because he stood with his trident held in his hand, his position casually defensive as Gloss sharpened a dagger. If she attacked, they were ready.

"What's going on down there, Katniss?" asked Finnick, "Have they all joined hands? Taken a vow of non-violence? Tossed the weapons into the sea in defiance of the Capitol?"

Kailani watched them carefully, Cashmere hovering next to her. She was still tired, that much was clear as she leaned against a tree, but her eyes were alert, she was not an easy target. If Katniss made a move against Finnick, she knew Kailani would kill her. Or worse, she would kill Peeta. The same went for Gloss and Cashmere, they were siblings, they were family in this together. She had to be fast, faster than she had ever been before. Perhaps if she took out one, the other would be too in shock to do anything.

"No," she answered.

"No," repeated Finnick, "Because whatever happened in the past is in the past. And no one in this arena was a victor by chance." He eyed Peeta for a moment. "Except maybe Peeta."

Finnick knew, then, exactly what she and Haymitch knew. About Peeta, being truly, deep-down better than the rest of them. He was good and kind. Finnick took out that tribute from District Five without blinking an eye. Kailani watched the life of the guy from Nine slip away, she gave him no chance to live. Cashmere had killed that woman from Nine, and her brother would do the same without batting an eyelid. Katniss was no better, she had shot to kill when targeting Enoboria and Brutus. Peeta would have attempted to negotiate before anything else, tried for some kind of wider alliance. But the people in this arena were not crowned for their compassion.

She held Finnick's gaze, weighing his speed against her own. The time it would take to send an arrow through his brain versus the time it would take for his trident to reach her body. She could see him waiting for her to make the first move, calculating whether or not he should block or attack first. Peeta stepped deliberately in between the two of them.

"So, how many are dead?" he asked.

Katniss almost wants to shove him out of the way, to take her shot at Finnick anyway. But he remains planted firmly between them.

"Hard to say," she said, answering his question, "At least six, I think. And they're still fighting."

He nodded, "Let's keep moving, then. We need water."

So far, there had been no sign of freshwater. No lake, stream or pond, nothing at all, and the salt water was undrinkable, it was worse for you than drinking nothing at all. The weakened Kailani was evidence enough of that. They could survive for the time being, but very, _very_ soon, they would be in desperate need of some kind of freshwater.

"Better find some soon," said Gloss, "We need to be undercover when the others come hunting us tonight."

_Us_. Katniss glanced at Finnick and Gloss, perhaps killing them would have been slightly premature. Finnick did after all have Haymitch's stamp of approval, and he seemed to trust Gloss well enough, albeit with some amount of reluctance. They hadn't done any harm yet and worst case scenario, she could always kill them in their sleep. For now, keeping them all alive was the smarter option. She let the moment between them pass.

It seemed the absence of any water only intensified their thirst. Kailani was being carried again as they trekked upwards. Katniss suspected that she might have had a concussion and her hand, well, if it wasn't broken it was most certainly fractured. That hit had held a lot of power behind it, she was sure it had almost knocked the guy she was fighting out. It didn't seem to bother her too much though, she had wrapped it tightly in some kind of moss. Peeta had offered to carry her for a bit, but Finnick had turned him down. Gloss had tried as well, but he had practically growled at that suggestion. Katniss could hardly say she was surprised. They all kept an eye out as they walked, looking for any sign of water. There was nothing. Not even a drop, or a trickle. Just nothing.

After almost another kilometre, the end to the tree line reached her sights. It appeared that they had finally climbed as high as they could. "Maybe we'll have better luck on the other side," she said, "Find a spring or something."

But there was no other side. She realised it before anyone else. Her eyes caught the strange rippling in the air, like a warped pane of glass. Beetee and Wiress had pointed out something similar to her in training, it was in front of the table of Gamemakers. At first she had thought it was glare of the sun or heat shimmering up off the ground. But the fact that it was fixed in space, unmoving, was what made her connect the dots between the two instances. It was a force field. Her cry of warning came too late as Peeta swung his knife to slash away at some of the vines. There was a sharp, zapping sound and for a brief moment, the trees were gone and she could see open space over a short stretch of bare earth. Then Peeta was flung backwards, knocking Finnick and Kailani over.

Katniss rushed over to where he lay motionless on the ground, his body caught in a web of vines. "Peeta?" The faint smell of singed hair surrounded him. "Peeta!" She shook him slightly, but he remained unresponsive. Katniss could feel the panic beginning to settle inside her, but she willed herself to stay calm. Her fingers fumbled across his lips, where she felt no warm air whatsoever, despite him moments ago having been panting. She leaned down and pressed her ear against his chest, where she always rested her head, where she _knew_ she would hear the strong and steady beat of his heart.

Instead, she found silence.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7:**

"PEETA!" screamed Katniss.

Kailani could only watch as the girl shook her district partner harder, trying to get him to respond, to open his eyes, anything, she even resorted to slapping him. But it was no use, his heart had stopped. She could see it in his eerie stillness; it was like when fishermen were pulled into shore after being lost to the sea.

Finnick pushed Katniss aside, "Let me."

Of course, that did not mean all hope was lost. There was still time to save Peeta, they just had to work quickly. His fingers sought out the correct position on his chest, and as soon as he found it, Finnick pinched Peeta's nostrils shut.

"NO!" yelled Katniss, hurling herself forwards, but Gloss grabbed her and held her in place. She didn't trust them, not at all, especially not when it seemed like a group of Career were teaming against her. Whether she knew it or not though, they were trying to help Peeta and Finnick would be able to do nothing if Katniss interfered. Tiredly, Kailani got to her feet and nodded to him. Again, he closed off Peeta's nose. Katniss struggled harder in Gloss' grip, but he was much too strong for her, there was no way she could escape. Almost hysterically though, Katniss continued to fight, using everything she had.

"Stop it!" Kailani bellowed, trying to get through to her, "Stop! Finnick's trying to help him! Look! Look at what he is doing!"

Finnick tilted Peeta's mouth open and immediately began blowing air into his lungs. Katniss stilled. Maybe she had finally realised what was going on. Kailani placed a hand on Gloss' arm and warily, he loosened his hold slightly. Finnick was not trying to kill Peeta, he was trying to resuscitate him. They watched as his chest rose and fell with every breath, and then, with the heels of his hands, Finnick began to pump the spot over Peeta's heart, trying with all his might to restart it.

Cashmere gave her brother a long look and Gloss let Katniss go. "He knows what he's doing," she assured, softly. It was mandatory in District Four to learn CPR, they were all taught in school as children. There were too many accidents and drownings that occurred in the fishing industry not to learn. She and Finnick had already encountered a fair few instances in their lifetimes where such a skill had been required. Some of those people involved had been saved, some of them hadn't been. She knew Katniss would have no idea of that though. All she would see was Peeta unconscious and not breathing before her very eyes. Right now, there was every possibility her baby could lose its father. She must have been terrified. Gently, Kailani guided Katniss to Peeta's side and she kneeled down, leaning in anxiously as Finnick repeated his actions. The next few minutes were agonising, they were quickly reaching the point where there would be no return for Peeta, and Finnick would have no choice but to stop in his attempts to save him. With every second that passed, Katniss seemed to fall into an even deeper despair. And then came the sound they had all been hoping to hear. Peeta gave a small cough and his eyes fluttered open. Katniss flung herself at him, brushing strands of his damp, blonde hair aside, "Peeta?" she said, quietly.

Letting out an almost imperceptible breath of air, Finnick sat back. His green eyes turned to her. They needed no words to communicate their feelings, they were obvious. That had been _way_ too close for either of their liking. If they had lost Peeta, Kailani had the feeling they would have lost Katniss as well. Whether it was to sorrow or anger, it didn't matter, because she would have been lost to them, lost in a world of despair and revenge. She would have been beyond reason and it would have undoubtedly ended in her death. Then what would they have done? Any chance of a rebellion would have been as dead as they were.

"Careful," muttered Peeta, weakly, "There's a force field up ahead." Katniss gave a watery laugh as tears ran down her cheeks. "Must be a lot stronger than the one on the Training Centre roof," he continued, "I'm all right, though. Just a little shaken."

"You were dead! Your heart stopped!" she burst out, her hands quickly covering her mouth to try and stop the sounds of her choked sobs leaving her.

Kailani moved to sit next to Finnick. All of the effort of climbing the terrain with her on his back and reviving Peeta from the dead, had started to tire even him. He was panting slightly, his eyes attempting to avoid the two from District Twelve, to give them at least the illusion of privacy. She planted herself down, and immediately he busied himself with tending to her hand. There was nothing he could do for it, but she let him fuss nonetheless. Gloss raised an eyebrow and imperceptibly, she shrugged.

"Well, it seems to be working now," said Peeta, "It's alright, Katniss." She nodded her head, but still, the sobs escaped her. Worry crossed over his face, "Katniss?"

"It's okay," said Cashmere, unconcerned. "It's just her hormones from the baby."

Kailani hummed her agreement, and eyed them curiously. The way Katniss only now seemed to _truly_ realise what she had almost lost, the way Peeta seemed surprised by her reaction. "To be fair though, you did almost die."

Katniss shook her head, "No, it's not-" She couldn't even finish. She broke off into another round of hysterical sobbing. If she was going to say it wasn't hormones, she had completely destroyed that argument. Katniss knew it as well. She glared at Kailani and Finnick through her tears, almost daring them to say something. They didn't.

"How are you?" Finnick asked Peeta, "Do you think you can move on?"

Immediately, Katniss cut in, "No, he has to rest."

She was right, he probably should rest. But they just didn't have the time, they were too exposed where they were, they needed to keep moving. Kailani was about to say as much when something appeared to catch Katniss' eye. A golden disc around Peeta's neck that had the symbol of a mockingjay engraved into it.

"Is this your token?" she asked, fingering it lightly.

Peeta nodded, "Yes. Do you mind that I used your mockingjay? I wanted us to match," he said.

"No, of course I don't mind."

Kailani looked down at her own token. It was the same one she had used in her first Games. A ring given to her by her mother. Moulded from white gold, the band was designed to look almost like waves, all flowing together in the centre to surround a single, small, blue sapphire. It had cost a fortune, she was sure. Mags had given it to her when she was twelve, the year she became eligible for the Hunger Games. Who would have ever thought that it would see _two_ in its lifetime? Certainly, not her.

"So, you want to camp here, then?" questioned Finnick, staying as patient as he could with the two teenagers.

"I don't think that's an option," answered Peeta, "Staying here with no water, no protection. I feel all right, really. If we could just go slowly."

Kailani almost wanted to hug him. Moving slowly was probably the best thing she had heard all day. Finally, Finnick wouldn't have to carry her.

"Slowly would be better than not at all," said Gloss, offering Peeta a hand up. He hesitated, just for a moment before taking it with a nod of gratitude. Kailani pushed herself up, and held her spear experimentally. Gripping it too tight with her hand was painful, but she was confident that if it came down to it, she would be able to fight well enough. She just had to adjust her technique slightly. For the time being, it would work as a wonderful walking stick.

Katniss regained her composure, "I'll take the lead," she announced.

Peeta started to object, but Kailani cut him off, "No, let her do it." Her voice was still rough from all the salt water, but she spoke firmly. She looked at Katniss, "You knew that force field was there, didn't you? You tried to warn us." She nodded. "How did you know?"

Katniss hesitated as all eyes fell to her, waiting for some kind of explanation. She had seen something or known something the rest of them hadn't. Kailani was eyeing their surroundings carefully during their trek, looking for anything out of place, listening for anything that didn't sound right and she had caught nothing. Not a flicker, not a whisper. _Nothing_. Katniss had known what she was looking for, recognised the signs, Kailani wanted to know how.

Katniss just shrugged, "I don't know. It's almost as if I could hear it. Listen," she said. They all fell silent, trying to hear what she apparently could. They heard insects, birds chattering away, even the breeze blowing through the foliage, but no indication of a force field. Kailani eyed Katniss with a hint of suspicion in her gaze. She got the feeling the seventeen year old was lying. She supposed it didn't _really_ matter whether Katniss told the truth or not, she was sure she had her reasons for keeping the information from them. They were after all on national television.

* * *

"I don't hear anything," said Peeta.

"Yes," insisted Katniss, "It's like when the fence around District Twelve is on, only much, much quieter." Again, everyone listened intently. Finnick was beginning to wonder if there really was something she could hear and they couldn't, or if she was just putting it on. It seemed awfully convenient, and his hearing was fantastic. Surely whatever she could hear, he would be able to as well. "There!" she said, "Can't you hear it? It's coming from right where Peeta got shocked!"

He shook his head, "I don't hear it either," he said, "But if you do, by all means, take the lead." To be honest, Finnick couldn't really care less whether she could hear it or not, as long as she could keep them away from it. That force field had done quite a number on Peeta, he did not particularly feel like experiencing the same thing.

Katniss turned her head from side to side, a look of confusion on her face, "That's weird," she said, "I can only hear it out of my left ear."

"The one that the doctors reconstructed?" asked Peeta.

That's right, the explosion during last year's Games must have completely destroyed her hearing. She was so close to the blast, he was surprised the doctors in the Capitol had been able to fix her hearing at all. She was very lucky.

"Yeah," Katniss said, giving a shrug, "Maybe they did a better job than they though. You know, sometimes I do hear funny things on that side. Things you wouldn't ordinarily think have a sound. Like insect wings. Or snow hitting the ground."

Kailani looked sceptical, but she also must have decided it didn't matter or given up entirely knowing there was no point arguing about it, because she nudged Katniss forwards, "In that case, off you go girl on fire, lead on."

They continued to move through the jungle in their line formation, knowing it was the safest way to travel. Katniss at the front, navigated them away from the force field, making sure they didn't accidently run into it. Kailani moved behind her, tired and weak, but vigilant enough. Then, came Cashmere, Peeta, he relied heavily on the staff Finnick had fashioned for him out of a branch and Gloss, the larger man as alert as ever and last, but certainly not least, he brought up the rear, always on the lookout for anything unusual.

At one point, Kailani's eyes lit up and she pulled a handful of nuts down from a tree. In fact, no, that would have been an understatement. She cut down an entire branch with one swift movement as if she weren't injured and began snacking on them happily. She offered them to Cashmere, who shrugged and took some. He hadn't been aware they were all that good friends, but then again, she tended to make friends with everyone and he hadn't known she was doing her brother either, so he could hardly talk. Finnick highly doubted that the nuts would do _anything_ to hydrate his old friend, but at least she wouldn't be starving. And who knows, maybe they would distract from the thirst. Katniss was not quite so pleased, she had a handful of nuts herself, but she wasn't eating them, she had been throwing them in front of her to help guide them on their way.

"Kailani!" she cried, "What are you doing!? You can't eat them! They could be poisonous!" Katniss was acting as if Kailani were a complete idiot. As if she would ever eat something that would kill her. Cashmere rolled her eyes, haughtily and pointedly popped another nut into her mouth. She trusted her judgement it seemed, she knew better than Katniss. Furthermore, as if _he would let her_ eat something that would kill her.

Even with a mouthful of nuts, Kailani managed a look of complete incredulity. She hated it when people thought she was stupid, that her beauty must somehow take away from her brains. It happened too often, and it infuriated her. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and with deliberate slowness she chewed on the nuts before swallowing them. "Mmm, yummy," she said.

Katniss turned to him for help, perhaps expecting him to immediately take her side since it involved Kailani's life. He just laughed. She should probably have been more concerned with her own life at that point. "If Kailani is eating them, I'm sure they're edible," he said, simply. She smirked, triumphantly and offered him some. He took them without thought. They were nice, slightly sweet, they tasted kind of like cashews.

"But-"

"I trust Kailani," he stated, firmly. Katniss stared at him like he was insane, and he shook his head. She didn't understand. Kailani knew these kinds of things. Mags had been drilling them into her as soon as she was old enough to understand. As a victor of the Games, perhaps she had always known her daughter would find herself in the same situation. She would have hoped otherwise, but it always seemed to work out that way. The children of victors did not have very good odds in escaping the Hunger Games. Maybe it was extra punishment for their parents, for surviving, forced to send their own children in to attempt the same thing they had. Nonetheless, Kailani was quite the expert. More so than Katniss, that was guaranteed.

"I assure you," said Kailani, dropping another nut into her mouth, "That they're safe to eat." Katniss still looked wary, and Kailani rolled her eyes. "If you must know, my mother taught me. These nuts featured in her own Games, I recognised them immediately. They kept her alive." She offered her hand, "Try one."

Peeta nodded encouragingly, and reluctantly Katniss took one. She chewed so tentatively it was as if she thought one bite would see her drop dead. Kailani could not keep the amusement from her face as Katniss turned away stubbornly. She knew she had won that battle, and as wonderful a person as she was, as much as she looked after others before herself, even she enjoyed being right on occasion. He was glad she was showing signs of life again. Ever since they had found her she had been terrifyingly quiet, too weak to hold a conversation. She had recovered slightly, but watching her as they moved slowly through twisting vines and overhanging foliage, he could see that she was fading again. Not that she would admit it. Kailani had very few flaws, one of them however was her tendency to keep her pain to herself, hide how she really felt for the sake of others. She was in desperate need of water. They were all thirsty, but after all the salt water she had consumed and the fluids she had lost subsequently, Kailani was dehydrating at a dangerously fast rate. He had seen this before, after someone had almost drowned, the most important thing was to replace their fluids. There were instances where people had died for not following such advice. They needed to find water and fast. He wished that she would at least let him carry her again. She could save what little energy she had left. Kailani was stubborn though. It was a miracle she had let him carry her the first time around, really. The fact that she hadn't put up more of a fight was a clear indication of how tired she had been. Honestly, he had expected to have had to throw her over his shoulder and carry her kicking and screaming into the cover of the jungle. But she had gone willingly. It was so unlike her, it did nothing to make him feel better. _She had almost died_. He tried not to think about it, but he couldn't help it. There was not much else to do as they walked. Even if she had managed to escape the sea, he was sure Enobaria and Brutus would have finished her off. They would have seen that she was too weak to recruit, and taken her out on the beach just like a number of others, he assumed. It made him feel sick that he had been _that_ close to losing her. If he had seen her face projected in the sky amongst the others who had died, he had no idea what he would have done. He knew the chances of them both making it out alive were small, but he had never thought about how he would react _if_ something were to happen to her, he had been so intent on avoiding the idea. Would he really have been able to put Katniss and Peeta before Kailani? He was not so sure. He knew he would have been near-inconsolable, he doubted he would been much use at all had she died. They probably would have been better off killing him then and there. She was the other half of his team, he would have been broken. Perhaps, for a time he would have been able to go on, to find the energy within himself to get Peeta and Katniss as far along as he could possibly get them, but it would not have lasted. Just thinking about it made him want to fall into a spiral of depression. Kailani clinging to him from behind had been a welcome comfort. She was _not_ dead. She was alive, she was fighting. He kept as close an eye on her as he did their surroundings while they continued their trek. He couldn't help it, he just had to make sure that she was still there, that she was still awake and breathing. He was careful to keep it discreet though. Kailani would have his head if she knew. The longer they walked, the more tired she became, Peeta was no better, he was struggling after his run-in with the force field, and after an hour, Katniss called them to a halt. "Let's take a break," she said, "I need to get another look from above."

They had made almost no progress since encountering the force field, Katniss it seemed had been trying to find some way over the hill, to the other side. She knew they needed water and she obviously thought they might have a greater chance of finding some over there. But there was no over there. They followed the line of the force field to no avail. Pulling herself up onto a branch, Katniss climbed a tall tree, disappearing into the leaves until they could barely see her anymore.

Kailani leaned tiredly against the trunk of a tree, and Finnick glanced at her, "You should let me carry you," he said.

She waved her uninjured hand, unconcerned, "I'm fine."

He shook his head, "Please, don't lie to me, not in here."

Kailani looked like he had kicked her. Any blood left in her face drained away and she swayed precariously. The grip she had on her spear tightened. He almost felt bad about accusing her of lying, _almost_. It was not as if he was wrong. Kailani was proving his exact point. She was injured, exhausted and _far_ from fine.

Peeta intervened. "We're only moving slow," he said, "Besides, we need someone unburdened to bring up the rear. You don't want her back there with you, do you? She would be a target."

"Gloss can switch with me."

"I can, but I won't," said Gloss. He folded his arms across his chest, and smiled. Finnick could have sworn he saw red.

"She needs help, don't be a dick," he spat.

Kailani closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "You guys…" she muttered, tiredly.

They ignored her. "Stop being so overprotective, she can take of herself," said Gloss, boredly. "You're not her brother, you're not her boyfriend-"

"And neither are you from what she's told me!"

Gloss shrugged, unaffected. "I never claimed I was."

"Look, I know her better than you do-"

"You guys," tried Kailani, again.

"-and I know when she's just being stubborn, when she's trying to hide things so how about you-"

"Shut up!" screamed Cashmere, suddenly. Her eyes were blazing and everyone wisely quietened. "How about we listen to Kailani, hm? Is that so hard for you two idiots?" She turned to Kailani. "Do you want help?"

She shook her head, immediately. "_No._"

Cashmere shot him a dark look and Finnick sighed. He glanced at Kailani, and she met his gaze, silently.

"Are you _sure_ you're okay to walk?" he asked. She nodded. "Alright, then." Finnick would just have to accept the situation as it was. There was a flash of light above them, and Katniss started making her way back down. She jumped to the ground and immediately fixed them all with a look that could mean nothing good.

"The force field has us trapped in a circle," she said, "A dome, really. I don't know how high it goes. There's the Cornucopia, the sea, and the jungle all around. Very exact. Very symmetrical. And not very large."

That explained why there was no way to go down the other side of the hill. That must have been where the arena ended.

"Did you see any water?" asked Finnick.

"Only the salt water where we started the Games."

"There must be some other source," said Peeta, frowning, "Or we'll all be dead in a matter of days."

"Well, the foliage is thick. Maybe there are ponds or springs somewhere," said Katniss, doubtfully.

Cashmere shook her head, "We would have found something by now, it has to be in some other form, something we're missing."

"At any rate, there's no pointing trying to find out what's over the edge of this hill, because the answer is nothing."

"There must be drinkable water between the force field and the wheel," Peeta insisted. And that could mean only one thing, heading back down towards the beach.

They decided to move down the slope only a few hundred and continue circling. With Peeta and Kailani they could not afford to get too close to the Cornucopia , they might have been able to last in a fight with their numbers and skill, but Katniss did not want to risk it, neither did he. The sun beat down on them ruthlessly, the heat turned air to steam and every now and again their eyes would play tricks on them and they would think they had found water when there was none. It was brutal, and by mid-afternoon it was clear that Peeta and Kailani could not go on. They had reached their limits.

He insisted they set up camp close to the force field. With the device just ten metres away it could be used as a weapon in the event that they were attacked. Katniss was not one to argue. He and Kailani pulled out blades of two metre long grass and immediately began weaving them together into mats. She was so tired and so weak, that Kailani did her work lying down. Her face was pale, her eyes glazed and her lips had begun to crack, but weaving was such a simple task for them it seemed to only have a positive effect on her, it distracted her from the thirst. Not even the injury to her hand stopped her. Quietly, she taught Cashmere to do as they did, showing her the way despite her condition as Peeta moved around them, collecting nuts and frying them on the force field. The boy may not have been a killer, but he was rather smart that one. Methodically, he peeled off the shells and piled the meats on a leaf. Gloss and Katniess kept watch, but Finnick could tell she was feeling antsy. She continued to fidget, her eyes darting around, until finally, she gave up altogether.

"Gloss, why don't you stand guard and I'll hunt around for some water," she said.

He raised an eyebrow, "Do you really think that's such a good idea?" he asked, glancing at her belly. Finnick couldn't blame him for that, if anything he should have been going to hunt. She was pregnant, she had life growing _inside of her_.

"You should be resting at every opportunity," agreed Kailani, her voice hoarse.

"Well, someone has to go," argued Katniss, "And I'm the best option."

"I'll go," said Gloss, "You stay."

"No, I want to go, I'll go _I'm fine_."

"Katniss-" started Peeta, but she cut him off.

"Don't worry, I won't go far," she promised.

"I'll go too," he said, already standing up.

But Katniss shook her head, "No, I'm going to do some hunting if I can." He stopped moving. "I won't be long."

She left no other room for argument, and before they could stop her she slipped in between the trees and disappeared. Peeta let out a long sigh, and planted himself down again. Finnick could not help but make some kind of comment. "What? Not a hunter?" he asked.

"I'm too loud," Peeta mumbled.

He laughed, he couldn't help himself. At the beginning of all of this, they had been teasing Katniss for her purity. But she wasn't the pure one, not really. All of that fell to Peeta, he was no killer, he could not even hunt. He was intelligent, good with words, but those were not necessarily the best attributes for the Hunger Games, especially not these ones. He was in an arena full of those who had already killed before and were prepared to do it again. Peeta was not made for this place. Nor would he ever be.

"It's alright," comforted Kailani, "We all have our talents." She shot him a long look and returned to her weaving. That was his warning to be nice.

Their hands moved, quick and efficient with the grass, creating large mats or so it appeared. They were pieces to a puzzle. Peeta watched them curiously, Finnick could see him out of the corner of his eye, but they knew what they were doing. They had done this before. In this kind of environment, where the ground was so damp and the air so humid, they needed shelter. That was what they were doing, they were building a shelter. Though even Finnick had to admit that it did not quite look like one yet.

The sound of the cannon, echoing through the arena, halted their hands.

"The Bloodbath must be over," said Cashmere. Her voice was thoughtful as she glanced into the woods. It must have been strange, hiding in the woods rather than taking out the other competitors. It was a strategy she had taken in her games, and her brother, and most of their district, even him, if he was being perfectly honest.

The Gamemakers never released the death toll of tributes until after the initial battle was over. For them, it was easier that way. The most kills always occurred at the beginning of the Games when everyone was in such close proximity to each other. No one would pay any attention to the cannon fire if they occurred when everyone was still fighting. So, they waited. Each shot represented one dead tribute. There were eight shots. Eight people were dead. Eight _friends_ were dead, two of them by their own hands. Finnick glanced over at Kailani, but she refused to meet his gaze. She stared determinedly down at the mat she was weaving. She knew the worst was yet to come. The faces of those who had lost their lives would appear in the sky later that night, and then they would know exactly who had been killed, and more importantly, who still remained. It was never a particularly pleasant experience, and he expected that it would only be worse this year.

Katniss did not return for quite a while. By time she stepped through the trees and into their camp though, they had completely transformed the place. The mats they had weaved were used to construct a hut. Gloss and Cashmere had helped him put it together. It was open on one side, but had walls, a floor and a roof. If it rained the weave was tight enough to keep out any water, or, in the case of the bowls that had been made, keep it in. Kailani had since crawled into their little hut to rest. Finnick sat at the front, his trident close by if he needed it, Cashmere sat quietly next to him as Gloss stood to the side, his eyes fixed on the woods as Peeta gathered all the nuts he had collected and put them into a bowl. They all turned to Katniss hopefully as she arrived.

She shook her head, "No. No water," she said, as disappointed as they were, "It's out there though. He knew where it was." Katniss hoisted up a skinned rodent for all of them to see. She may not have found water, but at least she had found them something more substantial to eat than nuts. "He'd been drinking recently when I shot him out of a tree, but I couldn't find his source. I swear, I covered every centimetre of ground in a thirty-metre radius."

That was not good. They _needed_ to find water. Peeta looked at the rodent his partner was holding. "Can we eat him?" he asked.

"I don't know for sure. But his meat doesn't look that different from a squirrel's. He ought to be cooked…" They could not risk a fire though. If the arena was as small as Katniss said it was, then a fire would only give away their position. As tempting as the meat was, they could not risk it. Peeta it seemed had another idea though. He took a cube of rodent meat, skewered it on the tip of a pointed stick and with confidence, let it fall into the force field. For a brief moment it sizzled, then the stick flew back. The chunk of meat was blackened on the outside but well-cooked on the inside. He and Katniss could not help but applaud his efforts. Kailani jerked awake, her hand immediately going for her spear, and they stopped what they were doing, remembering exactly where it was they were. They had to be more careful.

"Shh, it's alright." Finnick murmured, soothingly. Kailani's grip on her spear, loosened. "We just got a bit overexcited."

Her eyes lit up, "Water?" she croaked.

"Uh no, not quite," admitted Katniss, "We have some cooked meat though."

Kailani pushed herself into an upright position, "Well, it's better than nothing."

"Impressive, Mellark," said Gloss, chewing on the meat, heartily. "I think you're underestimated out here."

With the nuts and the meat, their first meal in the Games was a fairly good one. They all gathered in the hut as the sun began to sink behind the trees, and the sky turned to a rosy pink. The temperature dropped, but only slightly. It was still warm and if anything, it was even more humid, Finnick expected that that would not change at all during their time in arena. The point was to make them uncomfortable, and the Gamemakers were doing a very good job of that. He asked Katniss a lot of questions about the rodent she had shot, which they had decided to call a tree rat. How high in the tree it was, its surroundings, whether it was in a group or not, and most importantly, what it was doing. The tree rat obviously had access to water, he was trying to figure out how.

Unfortunately, Katniss wasn't very helpful, she remembered very little but he decided to give her a free pass. She was pregnant after all, it was only to be expected that her mind was a little muddled. With the sun gone, darkness fell over the arena, their only light coming from the pale white moon that hung in the sky. Their conversation trailed into nothing. It was almost time. They knew what was coming and they were not looking forward to it.

The six of them positioned themselves at the mouth of the hut. Katniss and Peeta had their hands linked as the sky brightened with the seal of the Capitol. Cashmere and Gloss were both stiff, their faces hard. The anthem filled the air, echoing to every corner of the arena and Finnick found himself holding his breath.

The man, the drunkard from District Five that he had killed, his face was projected into the sky first. They may not have known each other very well, but he knew that he had a son back home. His wife had died a few years back, that was why he had turned to the alcohol- surprisingly, it had had nothing to with his stint in the Games. His daughter-in-law had just given birth to a baby boy though. He had a grandson now, it could have been a new start for him.

Not anymore.

The man from District Five was followed by the male morphling from Six. The drugs had damaged him so much, but he was still a good person underneath all that. He and his partner were like children, it was as if the drugs had caused them to regress, but even they had their moments of clarity. They had agreed to join their alliance, so they must have seen the importance of it. His thoughts wandered to his partner, the female morphling. In all his time, Finnick had never seen them apart. Maybe there had been more to them than he had realised.

She would not have taken his death well.

Cecelia was next. Poor, dear Cecelia. A mother not only to her three children, but to all of them. She was always willing to give advice, he and Johanna often found themselves being scolded by her for their arguing, and she had absolutely adored Kailani. Finnick hoped more than anything else that her children had someone else to look after them.

They were so young.

Woof too, had been killed. If Finnick had to guess, he would say that he had gone down trying to protect Cecelia. He may have been old and on the verge of losing his mind, but he wasn't quite there yet. He would have wanted, more than anything, for Cecelia to make it back home to her children. They from the same district and the two had known each other a long time, he had mentored her, seen her grow up. He would always put his life before hers.

If only his efforts had not been in vain.

The female from Nine appeared. She was younger in age to he and Kailani. She had always been abrasive and rude, not in the defensive way like Johanna, but in the, she thought she was superior to everyone else kind of way. She had even gone so far as to slap Kailani once. There was no reason for it, maybe her attempts to be nice to her had just pissed her off, needless to say, Kailani had exploded. He had the feeling she thought that she wouldn't react, that she could push her around and nothing would happen, that she was too good and kind to retaliate. After all, she had done nothing to anyone else, she would not have dared attempt the same thing on Johanna. She was an idiot. She had _no idea_. Kailani was completely capable of snapping, of being angry and swearing up a storm, she just didn't reveal that side too often. She definitely did that day though. There was a kind of begrudging respect between the two after their scuffle. They would never have been friends, but they knew enough about each other to be considered acquaintances. For example, he knew she had two older sisters that had never volunteered for her when she was reaped.

He wondered if they regretted that now.

The male from District Nine, the one Kailani had killed was next up in the sky. As far as Finnick was aware, Neron had no wife or children, but he did run a grain farm for his elderly parents. His mother and father, and the entire district, would undoubtedly suffer for his death.

If they were lucky, maybe the Capitol would be effected as well.

The woman from District Ten had also been killed. She had a twin brother back home. He remembered watching their reunion after she had returned to her district victorious. He had been so relieved and so full of happiness. He would be devastated by the news that, this time, his sister would not be returning home alive.

In fact, he would probably never be the same again.

Seeder, from District Eleven, was the last tribute's face to be projected into the night sky. She was kinder than she sometimes appeared. She just wasn't so good with her words, sometimes she would say the wrong thing and in anger people would stop speaking with her. Finnick knew she never meant what she said, more often than not she had just got her words mixed up. Seeder had come from one of the poorer areas of her district, her vocabulary had not been the best, but she had learned a lot since her Games. She was someone who acted purely on her emotions, and that was what Finnick had always admired about her. She had a long-time partner back home, they had never married, they had never seen any reason too. He knew the two had started considering it though, they loved each other, they wanted to make it official.

They would never get the chance, now.

The Capitol seal appeared above them once more, a final piece of music played, and then the sky went dark, their only light coming from the moon again. No one said a word. There was nothing left to say. That was eight people they knew, dead. Family, friends and districts would mourn their losses, mourn the fact that never again would they brighten their lives, they would no longer be able to make a difference, they were gone. And more would most likely follow. Without a word, Kailani crawled back into the hut and dropped her head to the ground. No one else could find it within them to move. They might have sat there all might had a silver parachute not decided that exact moment to arrive. It glided down through the foliage to land before them. They stared at their gift, blankly.

"Whose is it, do you think?" asked Cashmere, finally.

Finnick shook his head, "No telling," he said, "But why don't we let Peeta claim it, since he died today?"

Peeta untied the cord and flattened out the circle of silk. On the parachute sat a small metal object that no one at all recognised. Finnick had never seen anything like it before. "What is it?" questioned Katniss. Unfortunately, none of them, had an answer.

They each, well, except for Kailani, took a turn examining the item, but still, no answer came to them. It was a hollow metal tube, on one end it was slightly tapered and on the other, it had a small lip the curved downwards. Peeta tried to blow on one end to see if it made some kind of sound, but it was silent. Gloss attempted to use it as a weapon, but that was useless as well.

"Do you think you could fish with it, Kailani?" asked Katniss, turning around to look at her. Only then, did she notice that Kailani had fallen asleep. "Oh."

"No, you cannot fish with it," answered Finnick. And what use would it be if that were its purpose? He and Kailani could fish with their bare hands if they had too, sending them something like that would be pointless. No, it had to have some other kind of job.

Annoyed, Katniss jammed one end of the device into the dirt, "I give up. Maybe if we hook up with Beetee or Wiress they can figure it out," she said, stretching out on the mat. Her eyes bore holes into the device. Maybe she thought if she stared at it long enough the answer would jump out at her. Peeta began to rub her shoulders and Finnick resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He crawled quietly over to Kailani and placed the back of his hand to her forehead. Well, she wasn't burning up or anything which was one small blessing. But he knew she wasn't well. Seeing the faces of those who had died, had completely drained her. She had been doing well until then, but after it was as if she had started to shut down, as if she were too tired to keep going. The fact that she hadn't even stirred as he sat by her sent his alarm bells ringing. Kailani was always alert, even when she slept. That was how she had survived her Games alone. She prided herself on it. Softly, as if afraid she would break, he brushed some stray strands of her hair aside. Still, her eyes did not open, she did not even stir. That twinge of fear ran through him, again.

"I don't understand," said Cashmere, her voice nothing but a whisper. He jumped slightly, glancing over his should to look at her. She sat there, calmly watching him as if he were some kind of fascinating experiment. He glanced at Gloss, but his face was unreadable.

"Understand what?" questioned Finnick.

"You, _her_." She frowned, confused. "I don't understand."

Finnick shrugged, what could he say? "She's my best friend."

Gloss scoffed, and Cashmere looked at him, disapprovingly. "A spile!" exclaimed Katniss, suddenly, bolting upright. They turned to look at her.

"What?" asked Finnick.

She pulled the thing from the ground and brushed it clean. "It's a spile. Sort of like a tap. You put it in a tree and sap comes out." Katniss looked around at the trees surrounding them, a slight frown on her face, "Well, the right sort of tree."

"Sap?"

"To make syrup," added Peeta, "But there must be something else inside these trees."

Finnick's eyes widen, and at once, the five of them were on their feet. Water. There had to be water in those trees. Without hesitating, Finnick snatched the spile from Katniss' grip and moved to hammer it into a tree. But Cashmere stopped him before he could. "Wait!" she called out, "You might damage it, we need to drill a hole first."

Gloss pulled out a knife and set to work. As soon as he had opened up a hole large enough to hold the spile, Katniss wedged it in carefully and they all stood back in anticipation. At first, nothing happened. Then, a drop of water rolled down the lip and fell to the ground. They wiggled and adjusted the spile until finally, they got a thin stream to run out. Katniss, Peeta, Cashmere and Gloss took turns holding their mouths under the stream, wetting their parched tongues. Finnick grabbed a basket and waited for it to fill before taking a sip for himself. Only a sip though, Kailani was the bigger priority. He could feel the others watching him as he ducked into the hut, but he didn't care. Gently, he tried to shake Kailani awake.

* * *

It took him more than one attempt, but eventually, to his obvious relief, Finnick managed to rouse her. He helped Kailani into an upright position, and held the bowl out to her. "Drink," he murmured.

Katniss and Peeta exchanged looks but said nothing as they filled another bowl. The water made all the difference to Kailani, as they shared around the bowls, taking long luxurious sips, she just continued to become more alive. With all the water, they even had enough to splash their faces clean. But with the threat of dehydration no longer looming over them, there was nothing left to distract them from their exhaustion. Having had the most rest and feeling better than she had all day, Kailani offered to take the first watch. Finnick would have none of it though. He ordered her to go to sleep, it was only Peeta and his soothing words that prevented the situation from escalating to a complete argument between the two. Kailani was not happy about it, not happy about being so easily dismissed, and not happy about Finnick putting his feelings before logic. But she moved into the hut as requested, and drifted off to sleep nonetheless. Finnick then offered himself to take the first watch. Katniss accepted, and Gloss and Cashmere shrugged, they weren't going to complain about the chance to sleep. Tiredly, she lay herself down next to Peeta on the floor of the hut and told Finnick to wake her when he felt tired. Instead, she found herself jarred from sleep at the sound of tolling bells, just a few hours later. Peeta and Cashmere slept through it, but Finnick had the same look of attentiveness about him that she did, Kailani and Gloss also had their eyes open. The tolling stopped.

"I counted twelve," said Gloss.

"Mean anything do you think?"

Finnick shrugged, "No idea."

In the distance, a dazzling bolt of lightning struck a tall tree, and then, a lightning storm began.

"It means something," said Kailani, finally, "Everything in these Games always do." Her eyes looked out at the lightning for a moment, her face thoughtful. And then she shifted, getting herself comfortable again before she went back to sleep.

Katniss sighed. She did not like the sound of that at all. She glanced at Finnick, the exhaustion rolled off of him in waves. Gloss seemed to have the same idea. He sat up, stretching his muscles. "Go to sleep, Odair," he said, "I'm on watch." His tone left no room for argument.

Finnick hesitated for a moment, but even he knew that could not stay awake forever. Almost unwillingly, he settled at the mouth of the hut, one hand gripping his trident as he fell into an uneasy sleep. Katniss however, did not join him. She couldn't sleep now, her mind was too alive. She pushed herself up and Gloss raised an eyebrow, she just shrugged. "Can't sleep."

"You should rest when you can," he said, wisely. He was probably right, but it was too late now.

She sat with her bow loaded as they stared out into the jungle, the trees ghostly pale and green in the moonlight. They didn't talk, there wasn't all that much for them to say. After about an hour, the lightning stopped and Katniss could hear the rain coming in. Except, it never reached them. It stayed just a few hundred metres away, refusing to come any closer. The sound of the cannon startled her and again, Kailani's eyes snapped open. Someone else in the arena had died. Finnick and Peeta remained blissfully unaware though. None of them thought it necessary to wake them.

"The Gamemakers must be getting impatient," whispered Kailani, propping herself up, "It has been quiet since the Bloodbath."

Katniss did not even think of that. She had been so concerned with finding water and the force field that she had completely forgotten about all the other traps the Gamemakers could have laid.

The elusive rain shut off suddenly, plunging the jungle into an eerie silence. Almost immediately, Katniss could see the fog sliding softly from the direction the rain had been. Kailani was next to her now, crouched down and the spear in her hand as the fog continued to approach at a steady pace. Gloss frowned, deeply. Tendrils reached forward and curled like fingers. Katniss could feel the hairs on the back of her neck begin to rise and Kailani realised it at the same time she did. That there was something wrong about that fog, something unnatural, and if it was not natural, then that could mean only one thing. Someone had made it.

A sickeningly sweet odour invaded their nostrils as she, Kailani and Gloss reached for the others, shouting at them to wake up.

In the few seconds that it took to rouse them, Katniss could feel herself beginning to blister.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8:**

Her skin burned. Wherever droplets of mist touched skin, tiny, searing scabs sprung up.

"Run!" screamed Katniss, "Run!"

Finnick snapped awake in an instant, rising to counter an enemy. Instead, he saw the wall of fog creeping towards them. His eyes sought her out, but Kailani was elsewhere, she was not the priority. He should have known that. She was helping Katniss haul a disorientated Peeta to his feet as Gloss shook his sister awake, a look of urgency upon his face.

"What is it? What is it?" he asked, his tone one of bewilderment.

"Some kind of fog," explained Katniss, quickly, "Poisonous gas. Hurry, Peeta!"

Kailani shoved them, trying to get them moving, "It doesn't matter, just go, run!" She glanced back at the fog. It had extended in a straight line in either direction, rising high above them with tendrils that continued to reach out to them. Finnick grabbed her arm and began pulling her along, making sure _she_ moved faster. He pulled her past a stumbling Peeta, and Katniss by his side, trying to help him. His grip was so tight on her arm that had they been in any other situation she would have winced, but she had much bigger concerns to worry herself with. They tried not to run too fast, to lose sight of their charges. But it was hard. The force field had done more of a number on Peeta than they had originally thought and he was much slower than he should have been, constantly tripping on the tangle of vines and undergrowth beneath his feet. There was no time for him to rest though, the mist lapped at their heels, threateningly. Droplets from the body of vapour sprung free, burning, searing their flesh. It was a strange pain, it was not like the pain one had when getting too close to a fire, it was different. There was less a heat and more an intensity as chemicals found their skin and burrowed their way down through the layers. The jumpsuits they wore were no help at all, they were so thin they gave no protection against the wall of gas that approached them. Again, Kailani looked back at Katniss and Peeta. Cashmere and Gloss didn't have to worry about them, they didn't know the plan, not beyond what they had already guessed, but they did.

"Finnick-" she started.

"I know!" he yelled, frustrated.

They were already a few metres ahead of the fog, had they chosen, they probably could have put even more distance between it and them. But that would have meant leaving Katniss and Peeta behind, and they couldn't do that. It was out of the question. They slowed their pace slightly, yelling words of encouragement to try and help the pair along. Gloss and Cashmere did the same, they too ahead of the younger two. There was not much else they could do though. Their enemy was a large wall of fog, they could not fight it, only run from it.

Peeta's leg became caught on a knot of creepers and he sprawled forwards, hitting the ground hard. Kailani pulled her arm from Finnick's grip and bounded back to help Katniss pull Peeta to his feet. That was when she saw his face. The left side had sagged, as if every muscle in it had died. The lid drooped, almost completely concealing his eye, and his mouth had twisted into an odd angle.

"Peeta-" began Katniss, noticing it as well. But then, her arms began to twitch.

Kailani frowned. The chemicals laced into the fog clearly did a lot more than just burn, it targeted the nerves, affected your muscles. It was made especially to incapacitate you, and if it caught up she hated to think what else would happen. She and Katniss yanked Peeta forward, but that only made him stumble again. Kailani could feel her back twinge, but she ignored it, and urged Peeta on. Something was wrong with his legs though. He tried to walk, but they refused to cooperate with him. They moved almost in a puppet-like fashion, all of their own accord. The fog had moved in on them, and now, the body of it was less than a metre away. They needed to move, Kailani did not want to find out what happened to them in that fog. She doubted there would be much of them left to recover if they did get caught. Cashmere yelled at them to hurry up, as Peeta lurched forward and Kailani looked to Finnick in relief as he began hauling Peeta along. They moved quickly, and Katniss did her best to keep up. The six of them managed to put more distance between them and the fog, but it got to a point where they were practically dragging Peeta along.

"It's no use," said Finnick, "I'll have to carry him."

Peeta did not even protest, he knew there was no other choice. Silently, Gloss helped Finnick get Peeta onto his back as quickly as possible, and then they were moving again. Kailani clenched her jaw as her own back spasmed painfully. It was getting worse, and to add to it, a tingling had started up her arm.

The fog continued its steady advance, it made no noise as it moved forwards. It was silent, but deadly. They did their best to keep out of reach of its grasping tendrils, running as fast as their tired legs would take them. Finnick lead them at a diagonal angle away from the fog. She could see what he was doing, he was trying to get them back to the beach, to the water. Katniss tripped and crashed to the ground. She managed to push herself up again but then, it was as if her leg had given out on her and she went down once more. Eyes determined, Cashmere moved back to help her up, to keep her moving and Kailani helped her. She could not let Katniss be left behind. As soon as she bent down to help her up though, her back spasmed violently and a burning pain ran through her entire body. She moaned and sank to her knees. Every part of her was shaking and all she could feel was the pain running through her veins.

"Kailani!" yelled Finnick.

His voice broke through her pain-induced daze, and with a deep breath, she got to her feet, pulling Katniss with her. "Come on," she muttered, giving her a light push, "We gotta keep going."

Time and space seemed to lose all meaning as they staggered along. It was as if the fog was invading their minds as much as their bodies. Then again, maybe it was. Kailani could feel her thoughts becoming muddled, her mind confused, she could barely make sense of anything anymore. All she knew was that they had to keep moving. She could faintly see Finnick ahead of them, loping through the foliage, his blonde hair shining in the moonlight. She could see the beach now, they were so close. And then Finnick was falling. He collapsed to the ground, Peeta still on top of him. Gloss collapsed next to him, and Kailani, Cashmere and Katniss could do nothing to stop themselves from falling over the top of them.

There they lay, the six of them, writhing in pain, barely able to move let along escape the fog. They were going to die. They were going to die and there would be nothing that they could do about it. Finnick groaned and managed to drag himself off of the others, and Kailani met his sea-green eyes. Probably for the last time. A small part of her wanted to tell him _everything_. But even if she had been able to talk, even if she had had enough time to explain, she knew she would have kept quiet. They were about to die, even if it meant to her very last breath that she would have to lie, at least Finnick would be able to go blissfully unaware. That did not stop the guilt though. No, it refused to give her even a moment's peace. It was almost as painful as the chemicals that had chewed at her skin. Kailani just could not win. She wanted Finnick to be happy but at the same time she wanted him to know the truth. It was an impossible situation.

At least she knew it would be over soon.

"Look," croaked Katniss, her eyes on the fog, "It's stopped."

Kailani followed her gaze, and she was right, it had stopped. The fog had become thicker, as if it had hit a pane of glass and could move no further. No longer did the tendrils reach out towards them. The entire mass had frozen. All four of them stared at it, and then, it began to rise upwards, as if being slowly vacuumed into the sky. The fog was sucked away until not even a wisp remained. Apparently, they were not going to die on this day. She gasped in pain. Well, maybe they just wouldn't die straight away. None of them were in good condition. They twitched and writhed as the poison invaded their minds and bodies. A few minutes passed by, and vaguely, Peeta gestured to the trees above them, "Mon-hees," he said.

On a branch, two monkeys sat perched, their eyes fixed upon their prone forms. They were about half the size of a full-grown human, with orange fur and large, watching eyes. Kailani did not like the look of them at all. They were only observing for the time being, but there was something about them. Maybe it was their claws, or the glint of their teeth, but Kailani felt that there was something vicious about them. They made her feel uncomfortable. Cashmere gasped in pain and clenched her eyes closed.

Peeta struggled to his knees and with every ounce of strength he had left, crawled down the slope and the last fifty or so metres to the beach. Katniss, Kailani, Gloss, Cashmere and Finnick found themselves following. They crawled and dragged themselves through leaves and vines, across sand, until finally, they reached the warm water that surrounded the Cornucopia. Despite herself, Kailani let out a breath of relief. She may have almost drowned in it earlier, but there was nothing more calming to her than the sea. Her fingers reached out, brushing the water for just a moment. Immediately, it burned her, searing and hot, she jerked her hand back. The pain was even worse than the fog vapour hitting her skin and burrowing through. There was another feeling to it though, not of something going in, but of something coming out. Gingerly, she put her hand in the water again. Kailani ignored the torturous pain and watched as a milky substance seeped out of the wounds in her skin. The salt water was drawing out the poisonous chemicals that had been in the fog. She looked over to see Katniss, Peeta and Gloss slowly soaking themselves in water, limb by limb in order to lessen the pain they endured. Cashmere watched them reluctant, but soon her brother coaxed her to do the same. They were pulling the band aid off slowly, so to speak. Kailani glanced over to Finnick, then. He had backed away from the water at first touch now lay face down in the sand, either unwilling or unable to purge himself of the poison. But he needed to get it out of him more than any of them. She could see it all the way from where she was, he could barely even move anymore. Kailani braced herself, she knew what she needed to do. She just wasn't particularly looking forward to doing it. With one swift movement she slipped her entire body into the water. The pain that hit her was blinding. It filled her every sense, occupied her every cell. All there was, was a burning, hot pain. For that moment, that was all she knew, all that she could comprehend. She was underwater, but she did not hold back her scream, she couldn't have even if she wanted too. Water flooded her mouth, cleansing inside as much as out, and worsening her pain. Clouds of white danced before her eyes and then floated away into nothing. The pain began to subside and Kailani pushed herself to the surface. Her entire body was shaking uncontrollably and her back was still spasming, but she knew that the poison, for the most part, had left her system. Sucking in as much air as she could as she moved, Kailani stumbled back through the water towards Finnick. He had not moved a single centimetre. She fell to her knees next to him.

"Finnick?" she said, softly. His fingers twitched, but other than that, he did not answer. Kailani would take what she could though, it was better than nothing at all. Her eyes ran over him. As she had suspected the poison had affected him the worst. Kailani had no idea why, nor did she really care. The fact of the matter was that it had. And now she had to get it out of him as soon as possible. Kailani didn't think he would go so well with her dragging him into the sea though, he had already recoiled from the water at first touch. No, she had to be more careful with Finnick.

"Sweetie, I have to get the poison out of you, but it's going to hurt, okay?" she warned. There was no response, but then again, she hadn't expected there to be. With cupped hands she carried water from the sea to Finnick, carefully soaking his wounds. She started with his fists, as soon as the water hit his skin, wisps of fog leeched out into the air. Since he wasn't under the water as she had been, the poison left his body the same way it went in, through the fog. She tried to be as gentle as possible, but there was only so much she could do. Gloss kneeled next to her, and with just one look began to help her. Katniss joined them soon enough, and then Peeta, and then Cashmere who had found them four shells much more effective in carrying water than their hands. They moved from his fists to his arms, the most damaged part of them all. Plumes of fog poured out from his arms, but Finnick barely noticed. His eyes stayed shut and the only sign of life that came from him was the occasional moan. Kailani knew her face was worried, or maybe it was even panicked, it was definitely something along that kind of line. She could see it in the side-long glances Katniss and Gloss gave her, in the understanding looks she received from Peeta and the eye roll from Cashmere. It was pathetic, _she_ was pathetic. She would have liked, more than anything, to have put it down to the poison. Blame it and blame the Capitol for messing with her mind and her emotions, there was really no point though. Everyone already knew better, whether it was as friends or something more, they knew she loved him. She had never been any good at hiding her emotions, not if it had to do with Finnick, anyway. It was ironic really, considering how often she lied to him, how often she lied to everyone. That was different though, she did not hide how she really felt, just disguised it, and this was a matter of life and death, it changed everything. As far as she was concerned, she was allowed to be emotional. She wished sometimes that she could shut it all off, hide all her emotions away. She had done it before, at her most vulnerable, and it was awful. It was safe, but empty. Cold and dark, she only did it then, so that she could survive. Her guilt and self-loathing would have destroyed her during and after her Hunger Games had she not done it. Kailani had put up a convincing enough act in front of Finnick though, she didn't want him to worry too much, she always showed emotion, that was who she was, if it did not show on her face it showed in her eyes and he could read her like a book, he was the one who brought that emotion out of her more than anyone else. He made her laugh, he made her cry, that was why she had avoided him so much after her victory, she couldn't afford to let him break her down, make her feel again, not while she was still in the Capitol and especially not when she was still so very broken. It had never been in her nature though, locking it all away, it never felt right. She just- she wished she could hide a _bit_ of it away. Just a tiny, little bit in situations like this so the others would stop giving her _those_ looks. They had spent too much time with them, seen too much. Gloss and Cashmere had probably suspected as much for years, but Katniss and Peeta barely even knew them yet they knew her feelings of friendship ran deeper than just friendship. Kailani didn't like that, not at all.

She glared at them, "We've got to get more of him into the water," she ground out, quietly. They had a job to do and that was what they were supposed to be focussing on.

"We can't put him in face first," said Cashmere.

"Then let's turn him around." She and Peeta each grabbed one of his feet and turned him one hundred and eighty degrees so that his feet were closest to the water. Bit by bit they pulled Finnick further into the salt water. It was a slow process. His feet went first, once the swirls of white disappeared they would pull him in further, his ankles, halfway up his calf, and so on. The longer they sat in the water, the more it seemed to help all of them. Kailani could feel her mind starting to become clearer, any rash thoughts of confessions being pushed to the back where they belonged, and the spasms in her back lessened to just a few twitches every now and again. The salt water was truly doing wonders. With every minute that passed, Katniss was becoming more alert, Cashmere more relaxed, Gloss more himself and Peeta, his face had already begun to untwist and return to normal. Finnick's eyes fluttered open. They darted around for a moment, confused and disorientated, and then they focussed on the five of them, helping him. Kailani smiled, "See," she scolded, lightly, "I told you to let me take first watch, you would not be so ridiculously tired otherwise, and waking you up again would have been much easier." Finnick let out a choked sound that might have been a laugh. Kailani shook her head, "Shh, no talking from you, not yet,"

Slowly, they dragged the rest of him into the water until he was covered all the way up to his neck and his head lay in Cashmere's lap. The poison leaked out from his flesh and disappeared amongst the blue. They let him soak for almost ten minutes before he lifted his arms above the seawater experimentally, flexing his fingers, testing his limbs. They exchanged smiles, Kailani's brightest of them all. He was recovering.

"There's just your head left, Finnick," said Peeta, "That's the worst part, but you'll feel much better after, if you can bear it."

Kailani took his hand and with Cashmere and Peeta's help, pulled Finnick upright. He purged his eyes, nose and mouth, though for the time being his throat was still too raw to speak. However, she expected that wouldn't last much longer.

"I'm going to go and try tap a tree," said Katniss, tugging at the spile that, thankfully, she had thought to attach to her belt.

"Let me make the hole first," said Peeta, getting to his feet, "You stay with him. You're the healer."

Katniss gave Peeta a long look, and he grinned in reply. _Healer_ was probably not the word Katniss would use to describe herself. "Do you want me to drill the hole, Mellark?" asked Gloss, almost hopefully. He did not enjoy just sitting around but Peeta shook his head.

"It's okay, I got it."

Gloss frowned, but didn't complain. Slowly, Kailani began to coax Finnick further and further into the water. His muscles were still recovering, but gradually he started to swim. It did not take long after that for him to begin diving about like they were at home again, like he belonged in the water. She could see Katniss staring again, her hands mid-braid as she watched the smooth movements of Finnick sliding through the water effortlessly. She supposed for someone from District Twelve, his swimming was rather enchanting. Kailani let out a breath, and like Katniss had, released her hair from it's braid. It spread out behind her as she lay back on the water and floated there, one hand ensuring she was not swept away too far, the other, her injured one, resting comfortably on her stomach. Her eyes closed and she could feel her muscles as they began to unwind and relax. Katniss yelped, and Kailani opened an eye to see an amused Finnick standing next to her. Apparently, someone was up to causing trouble again.

"Don't do that," glared Katniss, as Kailani swam up next to them.

"What?" asked Finnick, innocently, "Come up or stay under?"

"Either. Neither. Whatever. Just soak in the water and behave. Or if you feel this good, let's go help Peeta."

Kailani realised too late the mistake she had made by letting her hair out. It was such an effort to braid it again with only one completely functional hand, not to mention that she was also attempting to juggle her spear as the padded across the sane to the jungle. No, she had definitely not thought it through at all. She was concentrating so hard on her task that she didn't even notice when the others stopped in their tracks. Finnick grabbed her by the elbow, forcing her to stop, and she looked back at him questioningly. He glanced upwards, and that was when she saw them. Suddenly, her hair was the least of her problems. The monkeys they had seen earlier had all convened. Not just a few, but dozens of them weighing down the limbs of trees, their eyes following their every move. And Peeta still stood drilling a hole into a tree, completely unaware. Kailani tightened the grip she had on her spear, as Katniss armed her bow, with two arrows, Cashmere and Gloss pulled out their knives and Finnick adjusted his trident.

"Peeta," said Katniss, as calmly as possible, "I need your help with something."

"Okay, just a minute. I think I've just about got this," he said, his attention focussed on the tree, "Yes, there. Have you got the spile?"

"I do. But we've found something you'd better take a look at," she continued, her tone measured, "Only move towards us quietly, so you don't startle it."

Peeta turned to them. He was still panting from his work, but it was clear that he sensed the urgency, sensed that something was wrong. "Okay," he said, casually.

Kailani could see now why Katniss wouldn't take him hunting with her, quietness was not his strong suit. He was trying his best though, and most importantly, the monkeys were staying exactly where they were. He was just five metres from the beach when he must have felt something in the air. His eyes only darted up for a second, but that was enough, it was as if he had triggered a bomb. The monkeys exploded into a shrieking mass of orange fur, and at once, they all converged on Peeta. They moved so quickly, they were almost blurs as they slid down vines and leaped across branched. Their fangs were bared, hackles raised and their claws shot out like switchblades. They were vicious, too vicious.

"Mutts," spat out Katniss, as the five of them crashed into the greenery.

Kailani swung her spear and the blade cut across one of the beast's throat, before she spun around and did the same with the other end. She was glad she had never encountered these mutts alone, the ones that hunted in packs were always the most difficult, and there were just so many of these ones. They came at them in an almost never ending stream. She kept the monkeys at as much of a distance as she could, but every now and again, one would break through her line of defence. An arrow from Katniss prevented it from doing too much damage though. The girl was shooting as quick as she could, always hitting her target, whether it was the heart or the throat, it didn't matter, because she hit it. Meanwhile, Finnick was spearing the monkeys like they were fish and flinging their dead corpses aside, as Peeta slashed at the beasts with his knives and Cashmere and Gloss danced through the mutts like they were still in the training rooms. The air around them became heavy with the overwhelming scent of monkey and blood. The six of them positioned themselves into a circle, protecting one another's backs. It forced Kailani to change her technique slightly, she had learned to be able to protect _herself_. Sure, she and Finnick had spent enough time together to perfect their teamwork, they could move in perfect synchronisation, but the addition of the others as well made that difficult. That was what the double-ended spear had always been for, so that she could attack and defend herself at every angle. That was alright though, it was an easy enough adjustment.

"Peeta!" yelled Katniss, "Your arrows!"

Kailani could only spare a single glance before she was bombarded again, but she saw the problem immediately. Katniss had run out of arrows, and Peeta held her other sheath. Kailani narrowly avoided a pair of sharp claws from scratching her eyes out, and with one swift movement, the monkey had a spear through its brain. A high-pitched scream filled the area, and suddenly, the female morphling from District Six had appeared, her eyes wide as she threw herself in front of Peeta. The monkey aiming for him, found her, and they could do nothing but watch as the monkey sunk it's fangs into her chest. The sound she made was one none of them would ever forget.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9:**

Peeta dropped the sheath and buried his knife into the back of the monkey, stabbing it again and again until it released its jaw. With more brutality than Katniss was used to from him, he kicked the mutt away and braced himself for more. Quickly, she grabbed her sheath from the ground and loaded an arrow into her bow. Finnick was at her back, breathing heavily but not actively engaged. Cashmere had moved closer to Peeta, her knives dripping with monkey blood as Gloss and Kailani stood side by side, their eyes wary. None of them were attacking though, the monkeys had all stopped. They were withdrawing now, backing up into the trees, fading into the jungle as if some unheard voice had called them away. A Gamemakers voice, telling them that that was enough, that their job was done for the time being.

"Get her," Katniss said to Peeta, her eyes flickering to the morphling at his feet, "We'll cover you."

Gently, Peeta lifted the injured woman into his arms and carried her, the last few metres to the beach, while she, Gloss and Finnick kept their weapons at the ready. Except for the orange carcasses on the ground though, there were no monkeys to defend against, they were all gone. Kailani had all but abandoned her spear and was fussing over the morphling, smiling and whispering comforts to the woman as Peeta laid her down in the sand, her head resting in Kailani's lap. Katniss watched as she did all that she could to keep the morphling from looking down at her own bloodied chest, to make her as content as possible considering what was about to happen. Katniss had no idea how she did it, how she could voluntarily sit there with a smile on her face, her hands stroking her hair, when she knew that this was a woman who was about to die. Sure, she had sat with Rue, she had sung to Rue, but she had not stayed nearly as collected as Kailani. She seemed unbreakable as she sat there, and still, so warm and caring. The strength she had went further than Katniss could ever have imagined. There was nothing they could do for the morphling, Kailani and Peeta had both realised this. The front of her outfit was torn to shreds, blood trickled from the four, large scratch marks that adorned her skin and even worse was undoubtedly the damage that they could not see. Katniss was certain that the beast had ruptured something vital, a lung, maybe even her heart. She kneeled down next to them, and the woman took a hold of her hand.

"I'll watch the trees," said Gloss, before without another word, he walked away. Cashmere and Finnick exchanged looks, but didn't go with him. Katniss though wished that she could have, wished that she could have escaped the inevitable death before her. The morphling was going to die, she would have preferred not having to witness that. Her twitching hand had such a tight hold on her though, that to leave she would have had to pry her fingers away, and Katniss didn't have the strength for that kind of cruelty. The least she could do for the woman who saved Peeta's life, was stay by her side. Kailani whispered something to her, and Peeta gave a small smile at her words as the morphling seemed to brighten in excitement. Her head turned to Peeta attentively.

"With my paint back at home," he began, softly, "I can make every colour imaginable. Pink. As pale as a baby's skin, or as deep as rhubarb. Green, like spring grass. Blue that shimmers like ice on water."

At first, Katniss thought the words were nonsensical, that what he said was being affected by his grief and all he was doing was rambling, but his story was never meant for her, it was meant for the morphling, and she was enjoying every bit of it. She stared into his eyes, hanging on his every word.

"One time, I spent three days mixing paint until I found the right shade for sunlight on white fur. You see, I kept thinking it was yellow, but it was much more than that. Layers of all sorts of colour. One by one."

The morphling's breathing began to slow, and with her free hand, she dabbled in the blood from her chest, making the tiny swirling motions she so loved to paint with.

"I haven't figured out a rainbow yet. They come so quickly and leave so soon, I never have enough time to capture them. Just a bit of blue here or purple there, and then they fade away again, back into the air."

The morphling seemed mesmerised by Peeta's words. She was completely entranced. She lifted up a trembling hand and painted what Katniss thought might have been a flower onto Peeta's cheek.

"Thank you," he whispered, quietly, "That looks beautiful."

For a moment, the morphling's face lit up in a grin and she made a small, squeaking sound. Then, her blood-dappled hand fell back to her chest, she gave one last huff of air, and with that, the cannon fired. The tight grip on Katniss' hand released. She glanced up and Cashmere met her gaze, silently. Her face was unreadable but even the Career had a sombre look in her eyes. With a soft touch, Kailani slid the morphling's eyes closed and without a word, Peeta picked her up and carried her to the water. He returned and sat on the sand next to them, as Finnick kneeled down and rested his head on Kailani's shoulder. Cashmere hovered behind them all, and silently they watched as her body floated out towards the Cornucopia for a while. The hovercraft appeared, and a four-pronged claw dropped down, encased her body and carried her into the night sky. Just like that, she was gone.

Kailani placed a hand on Peeta's shoulder, comfortingly. "Don't looks so guilty, there was nothing you could have done." Her voice was gentle, and soothing.

"If I had been paying more attention-" started Peeta.

Cashmere shook her head. "Don't do that to yourself," she said, sharply. Peeta looked up at her. "We all know what being in these Games mean, even that lot. She died protecting you, Mellark, don't waste that."

He sighed, deeply, but didn't say anything more on the matter. Gloss stalked back onto the beach, his fist full of Katniss' arrows. He dropped them beside her on the sand. "Thought you might want these," he said.

"Thanks," she said. Katniss waded into the water, and with her arrows in hand, washed all the gore and blood from her weapons, and her wounds. By the time she returned to the jungle to gather some of the moss Kailani had been using to wrap her hand in order to dry everything, all the monkeys' bodies had vanished. Katniss frowned, "Where did they all go?" she asked.

"We don't know," said Gloss, "The vines shifted and they were gone."

They stared at the jungle, numb and exhausted. In the quiet, she noticed that where the fog droplets had touched her skin, the surface had become red and raw. They had stopped hurting now, but instead they had started to itch. She glanced over at the other, and all five of them were scratching, or at least trying not to. Cashmere slapped her brother's hand, and glared at him, but Gloss just couldn't help himself, none of them could.

"Don't scratch," said Katniss, "You'll only bring infection." That was what her mother would say. "Think it's safe to try for the water again?"

They made their way back to the tree Peeta had been tapping. She, Finnick and Cashmere stood with their weapons poised, as Kailani leaned against a tree, almost bored. Clearly she didn't expect any monkeys too return, and she was right, none did. Gloss finished drilling a hole with his knife and Peeta worked the spile in. He found a good vein, and the water began to gush from the spile. The six of them slaked their thirst and let the warm water pour over their itching bodies. They filled a handful of shells with drinking water and went back to the beach.

It was still night as they stared out at the water, though surely dawn was not too far away, it must have only been a few hours. "Get some rest," said Cashmere, eyeing her carefully. Maybe she looked tired. "I'll take watch."

"No, it's alright, I can do it," said Kailani. Cashmere raised an eyebrow, and Finnick stared at her as if he wanted to argue, but one glare from her and he backed down, immediately. He knew he had no argument this time, they were all equally as tired and worn down. If Kailani wanted to be on lookout, who were they to argue with her. Someone had to do it, it may as well have been her.

Katniss shrugged. "If you're sure, then all right, thanks Kailani."

She gave a nod of her head and settled down at the edge of the jungle, strips of moss in her hand as she prepared to clean her spear.

It was mid-morning when Katniss opened her eyes again. Peeta was still asleep beside her, however everyone else, was already awake though apparently, no one had been busier than the two from District Four. Above her, a mat of grass was suspended on branches and shielded their faces from the sunlight. Two woven bowls were filled with fresh water, and a third held a mess of shellfish. Finnick and Kailani sat on the sand, cracking them open with a stone. "They're better fresh," said Finnick, ripping a chunk of flesh from a shell and popping it into his mouth as Gloss pulled his out with a knife. He leaned casually against the trees, but every not and again his eyes would glance into the jungle, always wary, always checking.

"Here," said Cashmere, handing her a shellfish. It was still weird, her and her brother being so nice, so helpful, it didn't seem to fit in with the personalities she had painted them with. They hadn't tried to kill any of them yet, they actually genuinely had been working with them. They had been so cool and distant during training. All that was forgotten though, when her stomach growled. She certainly wasn't going to complain about them being nice _now_. That was when she noticed her fingernails though, they were caked in blood. Without knowing it, she had been scratching her skin raw in her sleep.

Gloss smirked at her. "You know, if you scratch you'll bring on infection." Katniss felt her mouth twitch upwards.

"That's what I've heard," she said, dryly. She moved across the sand to the water, washed the blood from her hands, splashed her face. At this point, she couldn't decide what was worse, the pain or the itching. Fed up, she stomped back on to the beach and glared up at the sky. "Hey, Haymitch!" she snapped, "If you're not too drunk, we could use a little something for our skin."

It was almost comical at how quickly a parachute appeared. Wrapped in cloth, a tube of ointment and roll of bandages landed squarely in her palm. "About time," she muttered.

Katniss plunked down on the sand next to Finnick, "Here," she said, throwing the bandages to Kailani. "I think those are meant for you."

She caught them with her good hand and beamed, "Thank you very much." Kailani pulled the moss off and tossed it aside, unravelling the roll of pristine white bandages. Finnick didn't even give her the time to attempt to wrap her hand herself. He took the bandages from her, and Gloss rolled his eyes.

Wordlessly, Katniss unscrewed the lid from the tube. Inside, was a thick, dark paste with a pungent smell, that made her nose wrinkle. It was a strange combination of tar and pine needles. Nonetheless, she squeezed a glob of the medicine into her hand and began to massage it into her skin. The relief was immediate. Her skin felt cooler and the urge to itch had completely disappeared. A sound of pleasure slipped out of her mouth, and she tossed the tube to Cashmere. She eyed it with disdain.

"I am not putting this on," she said, shaking her head. "It smells disgusting."

Katniss raised an eyebrow. "Would you rather scratch all the skin from your face?"

Cashmere relented at that, her mouth twisted as she unwillingly rubbed the substance onto her face. Finnick watched her, doubtfully. "You smell like you're decomposing," he said.

She scowled at him. "Shut up, Odair," she said, snatching the tube from her brother and throwing it at him.

Kailani nudged him, "Be nice." She squeezed a generous amount of the ointment into her hand and began massaging it into her sore skin. "Besides, it does help."

With a supreme look of discomfort on his face, Finnick treated his skin. Katniss grinned at him, widely. "Poor Finnick," she mocked, lightly, "Is this the first time in your life you haven't looked pretty?" The smell was hardly attractive, nor were the smears of ointment across his face.

"It must be. The sensation's completely new," he said, "How have you managed it all these years?"

"Just avoid mirrors, you'll forget about it."

"Not if I keep looking at you, or Gloss for that matter." Immediately, Gloss scowled at him and Kailani shifted uncomfortably.

"_Finnick_," she said, warningly.

He smiled, and rolled his eyes. "Oh, he knows I'm kidding, right buddy?"

The look on both of their faces said otherwise, and Katniss was very aware of the tension in the air. Nonetheless, Gloss nodded. "I do. I also know a lot of other things that would make Kailani blush."

Finnick's face darkened and Kailani choked, slightly, her eyes going wide. "Gloss!"

He shrugged, unconcerned. "I had to get one in, he's been asking for it ever since we got in here."

"_Still_-"

"How about someone wakes up Peeta?" suggested Cashmere, coolly. Everyone turned to look at her, and she smiled serenely. "He's missing out on all the fun." Kailani shot her a look of gratitude, and she met it with a nod. There was definitely something Katniss was missing in all of this, but she didn't want to be the one to bring the topic up again.

"Good idea," said Finnick. He tore his eyes away from Gloss, and they glinted mischievously. His entire mood changing in an instant. "How about we do it together?" he suggested, looking at Katniss. "Put our faces right in front of his?"

She shrugged, "Let's do it." Katniss figured she wouldn't have very many other opportunities to have a little bit of fun, besides it was probably something they all needed. Katniss and Finnick positioned themselves either side of Peeta, both of them leaning over until their faces were just centimetres from his nose. Katniss shook him slightly. "Peeta," she sang, "Peeta, wake up." His eyelids fluttered open and with a yell, Peeta jumped as if someone had stabbed him. She and Finnick burst into laughter, and the disdained look Peeta was trying to keep up did nothing to help them control themselves. Katniss thought that maybe Finnick Odair wasn't so bad. She had judged him too soon, Kailani was right, he did take some getting used too, and he was not nearly as vain as she had originally assumed he was. In fact, he was far from it. Since the beginning of these Games, he had done nothing but tried to protect her and Peeta, and she had the feeling he would rather die than see something happen to Kailani. She couldn't deny that Finnick definitely had his good qualities.

A parachute landed next to them with a fresh loaf of bread. Haymitch had the tendency to send gifts timed with some kind of message. And Katniss would be foolish to presume that that had changed. Her mentor was trying to tell her something, and she knew exactly what it was. Be friends with Finnick, be friends with any of them really, they could only help.

Finnick turned the bread over in his hands, examining the crust almost possessively. Katniss didn't understand. The bread was obviously from District Four, the faint green tint of seaweed gave that away. Maybe he just realised how precious it was, that there was every chance he wouldn't see it again. If that was his problem though, he wasn't talking about it. "This will go well with the shellfish," he said, instead. Katniss decided against commenting on his strange behaviour. It had been a long day yesterday, they were all bound to be acting a bit odd. As Finnick and Kailani cleaned the meat from the shellfish, Cashmere prepared the bread, Gloss took guard and she helped Peeta coat his skin with the ointment. It smelled awful, but Katniss was glad for the medicine nonetheless. Not only did it relieve them of their incessant itching, but it provided them with protection from the blazing, hot sun. They had almost been in the arena for an entire day, judging by the position of the sun, the time must have been going on ten o' clock. Ten of the other tributes were dead. Fourteen were alive. Somewhere in the jungle their enemies were concealed, just waiting for their moment to strike, to survive. No matter what the cost. Where she had once seen the jungle as a place of protection, Katniss had come to realise that it was nothing more than a sinister trap. It was not safe in there, but she knew that at some point they would be forced to re-enter, either to hunt or be hunted. For now though, she was content to stay on the beach. Peeta, Gloss, Cashmere, Finnick and Kailani did not look as if they felt like suggesting otherwise. For a while, the jungle seemed almost static, humming, shimmering, but not flaunting its dangers. Then, in the distance, came screaming. Across from them, a wedge of the jungle began to vibrate. An enormous wave crested high on the hill, topping the trees before it roared down the slope. The wave hit the existing seawater with such force that, even though they were as far away as they could be, the surf still bubbled up around their knees, setting a few of their possessions afloat. Among the six of them, they managed to collect everything before it was carried away.

A cannon fired. They watched as the hovercraft appeared over the area where the wave began and plucked a body from in between the trees. That took the death toll up to eleven, which meant that thirteen were still alive.

* * *

The circle of water slowly began to calm down, having absorbed the tidal wave. They rearranged their things back on the wet sand and Kailani was about to sit down, when Katniss' voice stopped her.

"Look, there," she said, quietly. She nodded to a segment of the beach two spokes down. They all followed her gaze, where three figures were stumbling onto the beach. Without a word to each other, they backed up into the shade of the jungle and watched the trio silently. They were in bad shape, that much was obvious. One was being dragged out by the second, and the third wandered in unkempt circles, as if deranged. All of them, were painted red from head to toe. It made recognising them difficult, but something about one of the competitors was vaguely familiar to Kailani.

"Who is that?" asked Peeta, "Or what? Muttations?"

Katniss drew back an arrow, readying herself for an attack, but Gloss shook his head, "No, they're too human to be muttations." He narrowed his eyes, thoughtfully.

Whoever was being dragged, collapsed to the beach. The other person stomped the ground in frustration, and turned to the strange one, the circling one and shoved them to the sand. Kailani gasped, she knew who was over there. "It's Johanna," she breathed. Finnick's face lit up and he bolted towards the figures.

"Johanna!" he called. Kailani was quick to follow behind him.

The briefest flicker of relief crossed her face, as she spotted them. "Finnick! Kailani!" she yelled back. And the closer they came, the more horrific the scene before them transformed to be. It turned out that the other two tributes with her were Beetee and Wiress, and it was not some kind of paint or due they were covered in, but blood. The metallic scent filled the air, but aside from Beetee on the ground, they seemed relatively unarmed.

"Are you alright?" asked Finnick, "What happened?"

"Do I look, alright?" screeched Johanna. She dealt with situations differently, and it almost always involved her becoming angry. It was just what she did, how she protected herself. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed dangerously, and Kailani followed her gaze. Gloss and Cashmere. "What the fuck are those two doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, Johanna," sneered Gloss.

Johanna glared at him, fiercely. "Shut up, I already want to but an axe in your brain."

"I'd like to see you try."

"You know that I could."

Cashmere rolled her eyes, a bored expression on her face as Katniss and Peeta arrived, and hovered awkwardly to the side. "We decided to try a different tactic this year," she said, simply. "Deal with it, Mason."

"I will _not_!" She turned her furious eyes to Finnick and Kailani, and they shrunk back slightly. "Are you two out of your goddamn minds?" Her face became thoughtful for a moment. "Well, you are, I already know that-"

"We'll actually agree with you in that regard," added Cashmere. Gloss smirked, and Kailani had the sudden urge to find her spear and smack all of them with it. Did _everyone_ know? Sometimes it felt like it.

Johanna continued. "But trusting them? That's insane. You two are insane."

"Perhaps, but you should be used to that, right?" She gave her a pointed look of annoyance and Johanna rolled her eyes. "Now, tell us what happened."

"We thought it was rain, you know, because of the lightning, and we were all so thirsty," she started, "But when it started coming down, it turned out to be blood. Thick, hot blood. You couldn't see, you couldn't speak without getting a mouthful. We just staggered around, trying to get out of it. That's when Blight hit the force-field." The cannon the night before. The one that had woken her. She, Katniss and Gloss could hear rain, that must have been Blight. Obviously Johanna, because she was sure that she had tried, had not been able to get his heart started again.

"I'm sorry, Johanna," said Finnick, sincerely. Had no one else been around, he probably would have hugged her. She would have been reluctant enough normally, let alone in front of everyone else. She wanted no comfort and would accept no comfort.

"Yeah, well, he wasn't much, but he was from home," she said, "And he left alone with these two." Johanna looked down at Beetee in disdain, the man was barely even conscious. "He got a knife in the back at the Cornucopia. And her-"

They all turned to look at Wiress. She was circling around, caked in dried blood and constantly murmuring, "Tick, tock. Tick, tock."

Johanna looked about to strangle her. "Yeah, we know," she spat out, angrily. "Tick, tock." That only seemed to draw Wiress in her direction and the woman careened into Johanna, haphazardly. She didn't hesitate in shoving her harshly to the ground. "That's enough!" she screamed, "Do you hear me!? Just stay down and be quiet!"

"Hey, lay off her," snapped Katniss.

There was a shift in the air and even Gloss eyed Johanna warily as she turned to face Katniss, slowly. "Lay off her?" she hissed. Before anyone could react, she stepped forward and slapped Katniss hard across the face. Katniss stumbled for a moment, and then she became angry. She lunged at Johanna, and Kailani just managed to step between them, pushing Katniss back.

"Who do you think got them out of the bleeding jungle for you?" she shouted, furiously, trying to get her hands on Katniss. Katniss did the same, but still, Kailani acted as a wall between them. "You stupid-" Finnick tossed her writhing body over his shoulder and Johanna screamed in frustration. Katniss looked tempted to string an arrow in her bow, but Kailani shot her a single look of warning. Her hands fell to her side. Finnick dumped Johanna in the water, but not even his consistent dunking of her could slow the string of insults and curses she threw Katniss' way. Suddenly, Kailani could feel a very strong headache coming on.

"Bit off more than you can chew there," said Cashmere.

Katniss ignored her. "What did she mean? That she got them for me?" she demanded, confused.

Kailani shrugged, keeping her face carefully neutral though she was sure Cashmere and Gloss would not be fooled so easily. They knew something was going on, they were smart. "Maybe they were looking for you, and Johanna and Blight decided to take pity and help them?" Kailani bent down and helped Wiress to her feet. "I don't know."

Katniss scoffed, disbelievingly. "I doubt that." She glared over at Johanna, and Kailani shot her a sharp look.

"Don't you judge her," she defended. Her voice was cold, and she could see from the surprise on Katniss and Peeta's faces that it wasn't something they had expected from her. They were used to her being kind and calming, but Johanna was her best friend, aside from Finnick, and she would not accept anyone insulting her, not even the girl on fire. They had _no_ idea of what Johanna had been through.

Katniss however, would not back down. Her back straightened and she turned an incredulous look to her, instead. "You're seriously defending her? She shoved Wiress for no-"

"I am aware of what she did," snapped Kailani. She softened her gaze, slightly. "But she deserves a break. Don't forget that while we saved Peeta, she couldn't save Blight. Through the blood, she dragged Beetee out alone and made sure she didn't lose Wiress. Everyone shows their emotions in different ways, Johanna gets angry. That's just how she deals with it all." She glanced at Peeta, then, before meeting Katniss' eyes. "How would you have been if Finnick hadn't been able to save Peeta?" Katniss had the good sense to look slightly ashamed. It would seem that she had made her point.

Wiress tugged at her hand. "Tick, tock," she said, "Tick, tock."

Kailani nodded her head, understandingly. "Yes, tick, tock, that's right." She gave her a soothing smile and prised her had from her grip. "You're going to go with Katniss now, okay?" Kailani looked at Katniss pointedly, and without argument she took Wiress' hand in her own. "Gloss, carry Beetee back to camp. You guys see what you can do for him, he'll bleed out otherwise. I'm going to help Finnick in the impossible task of calming Johanna down."

Gloss scoffed. "Good luck with that."

She glared at him. "_And_ when we get back try not to piss her off too much."

"Can't guarantee anything there."

"He is good at getting under her nerves," agreed Cashmere, "They have a special relationship."

No kidding. Kailani couldn't count how many times she had come across them grumbling things at one another. It was just, what they did. "Even so, give it a rest." With that, she spun on her heel and made her way to the water's edge. She plonked herself down in the shallow water, and Johanna rolled her eyes at the look she had fixed her with.

"Oh, come on," she complained, "_The girl on fire_. She acts all high and mighty, it was about time someone knocked some sense into her."

"Well, you've done that. Now, just _be nice_," begged Kailani, "I don't want you two at each other's throats all the time."

"She was out of line."

"Yeah, maybe she was-"

"Maybe?" scoffed Johanna.

"But," continued Kailani, acting as if she hadn't heard her. "You've dealt with it okay, you've called her every name in the book now just let it go, be your usual, cheery self," she said, the underlying sarcasm in her tone clear.

Johanna let out a long-suffering sigh. "Fine," she conceded, "But if she crosses me again-"

"Then by all means, knock more sense into her." Finnick raised an eyebrow and she shrugged, confidently. "It's fine, because it won't be a problem."

Having scrubbed most of the blood from her body, Johanna laid back in the water lazily. "So," she began, her eyes flickering to Kailani. "What happened to your hand?"

"Neron's face," she answered, coolly.

"Yeah, but only after he nearly drowned you," said Finnick.

Kailani sighed, "Stop fussing, Finnick. It's the Hunger Games, these things happen. At least Gloss fished me out after."

"Probably just trying to get on your good side," he muttered, grumpily.

Johanna smirked, "Oh, so you finally found out about those two, did you?"

"You knew?"

"What, that Kailani and Gloss were fuck-buddies? Of course." Finnick scowled, and if anything, the smirk on her face, widened. "Why? Are you jealous?"

Kailani could feel the panic flare inside of her, as she watched Finnick blanch at the question. This wasn't supposed to happen, it was getting too real, too uncomfortable. He spluttered uselessly and Johanna grinned. "Look," interrupted Kailani, "I get that you don't like Gloss, both of you. But he and Cashmere are helping us, they came in here wanting to do something different and that's exactly what they're doing. Let's leave it at that, shall we?"

Controlling himself somewhat, Finnick shrugged. "Fine, whatever."

Johanna just shook her head. "You two are fucking hopeless," she murmured, quietly, underneath her breath. "The both of you are as bad as each other."

Finnick looked confused. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Johanna didn't answer though, she was already striding across the sandy beach towards their camp. Kailani rushed to catch up with her. "Nothing more out of you, you hear me?" she said, warningly as Finnick remained out of earshot. "Don't make this more difficult than it already is."

Johanna waved her hand, unconcerned. "Yeah, yeah," she said, "I'll be good. I still think you should tell him, but I'll be good." Kailani sighed, tiredly.

The others had done a better job on Beetee than she had thought they would. His wound was cleaned and wrapped, they had even washed a majority of the blood not just from him, but from Wiress as well. As usual, Gloss hovered by the edge of their camp, keeping watch as his sister continued to tend to Beetee and Katniss attempted to coax Wiress into eating. He smiled, cockily at Johanna and she sneered at him return. Kailani gave both of them a look of warning as Peeta handed Johanna a bowl of water and she gulped it down, while simultaneously stuffing herself with shellfish. Finnick used that time to recount their experiences with the fog and the monkeys, it was better that everyone knew what the dangers were in this place.

Everyone offered to guard while the others took the time to rest, but in the end only Katniss and Johanna stayed up. Kailani was hesitant to leave them alone, worried that perhaps they might try to kill each other. Johanna though had convinced her that they would be fine, and with that somewhat flimsy guarantee, she fell into a much needed sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10:**

Katniss understood now. Wiress was not completely insane, she was trying to explain something to them, trying to make them see.

"Tick, tock," she mumbled, tossing and turning in her sleep.

The sun was overhead of them now, like it was noon. She had seen the ball of lightning strike the tree in the distance and that was when it hit her. It had been the same as last night. The tolling of the bell, it was like it was midnight, and now it was noon and the same thing had happened again. The segments. The lightning, and then the blood rain in the section over from them. They would have been in the third section, and when the rain stopped, the fog had started, like clockwork.

"Tick, tock."

That was right, the arena was a clock. Each hour began a new horror, a new Gamemaker weapon, and with it the previous one would end. At present, the blood rain was falling and they were all on the beach below the monkey segment. Much too close to the fog for her liking. Katniss had no idea whether the various attacks stayed within the confines of the jungle, the tidal wave certainly hadn't. She was not willing to stay and find out about the fog or the monkeys.

"Get up," she ordered, forcing Peeta, Finnick, Cashmere, Gloss, Johanna and Kailani to wake up, though in the latter's case, one hand on her shoulder and her eyes snapped open of her own accord. The spear was in her hand and pointed at her before she could even blink.

Kailani relaxed when she saw that it was only Katniss, "What is it?" she asked, "What's going on?"

"We have to move." There was enough time to explain the clock theory to them. About Wiress, the lightning and the segments. She seemed to have convinced everyone except Johanna and Gloss. Apparently, they were capable of agreeing on something, and that was that they were both sceptical. But even they knew that it was better to be safe than sorry.

While the others collected their few possessions, she roused Wiress. The elder woman awoke with a panicked, "Tick, tock!"

"Yes, tick, tock, the arena's a clock. It's a clock, Wiress, you were right," she said, calmingly, "You were right."

Relief flooded her face- she assumed it was because _finally_ someone had understood her. "Midnight," she said.

Katniss nodded, "It starts at midnight," she confirmed. Wiress looked over at the blood rain, "One-thirty."

"Exactly. One-thirty. And at two, a terrible poisonous fog begins there," she said, pointing towards the nearby jungle, "So we have to move somewhere safe now." Wiress smiled and stood up obediently. "Are you thirsty?" Katniss handed her a woven bowl and she gulped down about a litre. Finnick handed her the last bit of the bread, and she gnawed on it happily. With the inability to communicate overcome, she was functioning again.

Beetee was still pretty out of it, but when Gloss tried to lift him, he objected, "Wire," he said.

"She's right here," said Peeta, comfortingly. "Wiress is fine. She's coming too."

But still, Beetee struggled. "Wire," he insisted.

"Oh, I know what he wants," said Johanna, impatiently. She crossed the beach and picked up a cylinder, he must have dropped it when he had collapsed earlier. It was coated in a thick layer of congealed blood. "This worthless thing. It's some kind of wire or something. That's how he got cut. Running up to the Cornucopia to get this. I don't know what kind of weapon it's supposed to be. I guess you could pull off a piece and use it as a garrotte or something. But really, can you imagine Beetee garrotting somebody?"

"He won his Games with wire. Setting up that electrical trap," said Peeta, "It's the best weapon he could have."

There was something odd about Johanna not putting that together herself, it made her suspicious. "Seems like you'd have figured that out," she said, "Since you nicknamed him Volts and all."

Johanna's eyes narrowed, "Yeah, that was really stupid of me, wasn't it?" she spat. "I guess I must have been distracted by keeping your little friends alive. While you were… what, again? What the hell were you doing while Finnick and Kailani pulled your ass along? While Glossy-" He scowled at that, but she didn't care. "-Did all the heavy lifting? While Cashmere kept your dumb self in line?" Katniss felt her fingers tighten on the knife handle at her belt. "Go ahead. Try it. I don't care if you are knocked up, I'll _rip your throat out." _

Kailani sighed, loudly and ran a hand over her face. "Maybe we should all just take a deep breath," said Finnick, shooting Katniss a look. He took the coil from Johanna and set it on Beetee's chest, "There's your wire, Volts. Watch where you plug it." He received a grateful smile from Kailani for his efforts. Gloss rolled his eyes and picked up a now unresisting Beetee.

"Where to?" asked Cashmere.

"The Cornucopia," said Finnick, "That's the centre, we can make sure we're right about the clock from there."

It seemed as good a plan as any. Besides, it gave her a chance to look over the weapons again. There were nine of them now, that was more than the other tributes still out there. They had seven good fighters, four of them could technically have been considered Careers. They had the best in the field, and they were all still working well enough together as a group, as a team almost. It was strange, having allies this time. She wasn't alone, there were people watching her back. She just had to ignore the fact that these were also people she would have to kill. Beetee and Wiress would probably find some way to die on their own. Johanna, well, if it came down to protecting Peeta or even just shutting her up, she could easily bring herself to kill her, assuming she and Gloss didn't take each other out first. He and his sister, Katniss still considered them wildcards, they were more dangerous than anyone, and there was some part of her that hoped they would get taken out in an attack, perhaps by District Two. They were probably pissed off that those two had left them to fend for themselves. Finnick and Kailani however, were a different story in the scheme of things. She almost wished that something would happen to one of them, just so that the other might go off on some kind of suicide revenge mission. That would make her job a lot easier. She didn't want to kill them, in fact, she wasn't entirely sure that she could. Katniss tried to thing about something, anything else. But the only thing that came to mind was killing President Snow, killing him for all of this. Not a very pretty daydream, but it was nothing she supposed.

They walked down the nearest strip of sand and approached the Cornucopia, carefully, just in case someone else was there, there wasn't. The area was abandoned, only the structure itself and the picked-over pile of weapons remained. Gloss laid Beetee down in the shade, and he called out to Wiress. She crouched beside him and he placed the coil of wire in her hands. "Clean it, will you?" he asked.

Wiress nodded and scampered over to the water's edge, where she dunked the coil in the water. She started to quietly sing a strange little song, about a mouse running up a clock. It must have been for children but it seemed to make her happy.

"Oh, not the song again," said Johanna, rolling her eyes, "That went on for hours before she started tick-tocking."

Suddenly, Wiress stood up very straight and pointed to the jungle, "Two," she said.

Katniss followed her finger to where the wall of fog had just started to seep out onto the beach. "Right on time," said Peeta. "You very smart to figure that out, Wiress."

Wiress smiled and went back to singing and dunking the coil. "Oh, she's more than smart," said Beetee, "She's intuitive." They all turned back to Beetee, who seemed to be coming back to life. "She can sense things before anyone else. Like a canary in one of your coal mines."

"What's that?" asked Cashmere.

"It's a bird that we take down into the mines to us if there's bad air," said Katniss.

"What's it do, die?" asked Johanna, doubtfully.

"It stops singing first. That's when you should get out. But if the air's too bad, it dies, yes. And so do you." She frowned. She didn't want to talk about this, about dying songbirds. They brought up too many memories, thoughts of her father's death and Rue's death, of so many others. Her mind wandered to Gale, her dear childhood friend probably down in those mines right now. President Snow could kill him so easily because of her, he could make it look like an accident. A silent canary, a spark, and nothing more. Her mind goes back to killing the president, all of this would end if he were dead and even if it didn't, she'd certainly feel better for it.

Despite her annoyance at Wiress, Johanna's as happy as she has ever seen her in the arena. While she added to her stock of arrows, Johanna poked around until she came up with of pair of lethal-looking axes and her eyes glinted, pleased. It seemed like an odd choice until she threw one with such force that it stuck in the sun-softened gold of the Cornucopia. Of course, she was Johanna Mason, from District Seven, their trade was lumber she'd probably been throwing axes around since she was a toddler. It was like Finnick with his trident, it was like Kailani with her spear, or Beetee with his wire. Cashmere and Gloss used their knives and daggers with such precision, if there was a target they could find it. And Rue, she had her knowledge of plants. It was yet another disadvantage that District Twelve had faced over the years. They didn't go down into the mines until they were eighteen, whereas most of the other tributes seemed to learn something about their trades early on. There were things you did in the mines that could have helped during the Games, whether it be wielding a pick or blowing things up, it could have given them an edge but it was learned too late for it to be useful.

While she messed around with the weapons, Peeta sat squatted on the ground, drawing something with the tip of his knife on a large, smooth leaf he had brought from the jungle. Katniss peered over his shoulder, curiously. It was a map, he had created a map of the arena. In the centre there was the Cornucopia on its circle of sand with the twelve strips branching out for it, it was like a pie sliced into twelve equal wedges. There was another circle that represented the waterline and a slightly larger one that indicated the edge of the jungle. "Look how the Cornucopia's positioned," he said.

She examined his drawing, focusing particularly on the middle. "The tail points to twelve o' clock," she said.

Peeta nodded, "Right, so this is the top of our clock," he said, and quickly scratched the numbers one through to twelve around the clock face. "Twelve to one is the lightning zone." He wrote lightning in tiny print in the corresponding wedge, then worked around clockwise, adding blood, fog and monkeys in the following sections.

"Ten to eleven is the wave," said Cashmere, wandering over to them. Her brother, Kailani, Finnick and Johanna along with her, all of them armed to the teeth with tridents, spears, axes and knives. They looked about ready to go to war.

"Did you notice anything unusual in the others?" asked Katniss, looking to Johanna and Beetee. They were the only ones that hadn't been with them the whole time, even so though, all they'd seen was a lot of blood. "I guess they could hold anything."

"I'm going to mark the ones where we know the Gamemakers' weapon follows us out past the jungle, so we'll stay clear of those," said Peeta, drawing diagonal lines on the fog and wave beaches. He sat back, admiring his work. "Well, it's a lot more than we knew this morning, anyway."

They all nodded in agreement, but that's when she noticed it, noticed that something was missing. There was no noise, it was silent. Their canary had stopped singing. She didn't hesitate, she loaded an arrow and twisted on the spot. A tribute, she wasn't sure who, let Wiress slide lifelessly to the ground, her throat slit open in a bright red smile. The point of Katniss' arrow disappeared into his right temple. The woman allied alongside him let go of her knife, and it flew through the air. Gloss dodged, just as Johanna buried an axe blade in her chest. Her eyes darted around, looking for more. Finnick batted away a spear Brutus had thrown at Peeta and for it, received a knife to his thigh from Enobaria. Kailani was quick to respond, she threw her own spear, and if not for the Cornucopia that he just managed to duck behind, Brutus would have been dead. Him and Enobaria, both of the tributes from District Two. Katniss sprung forward to pursue the pair, as the canon sounded three times throughout the arena. That was it then, there was nothing that could be done for Wiress, nor the other two tributes that had been killed. She and her allies, rounded the horn and started to give chase to Brutus and Enobaria, to their biggest threats, as they sprinted down a sand strip towards the jungle. But before they could get too far, the ground jerked beneath their feet.

* * *

It was moving, the circle of land that held the Cornucopia started to spin, and spin fast. Johanna could feel herself being pulled towards the water, but she dug her hands in the ground and held on. There was a yell to the side of her that sounded a lot like Kailani, but there was nothing she could do about it. All she could see was the jungle spinning, the sand flying. She wasn't surprised when rather than slowing down, they just slammed to a stop. No warning, nothing. The Gamemakers were real assholes, that was for sure. Doing her best to blink away the dizziness, and the queasiness, Johanna looked around. All of them had managed to hold on, at least, so it had seemed. It was Kailani that she had heard, with her bad hand she must have slipped but Gloss had a tight grip on her wrist. He had kept her from being flung into the water. Finnick couldn't decide whether to look relieved, or annoyed by the display. Not that it meant anything, she knew that and so did they. It was just Finnick, poor, idiotic Finnick. That was when she noticed it, noticed that they were one person down. The three dead bodies had been thrown into the seawater, but so had someone else.

"Where's Volts?" she asked. Shakily, Johanna pushed herself to her feet, the others doing the same. It was Finnick that spotted him about twenty metres out, barely keeping afloat. He dived into the water and swam out, to haul him back in. Katniss spun about frantically, her eyes scanning the water. Before Johanna could even think to question her, she tossed her weapons to the ground.

"Cover me," she called back.

"Wait!" yelled Kailani, but she was already gone. Katniss raced down the land strips and dived into the water. The hovercraft appeared in the sky above them, and they all eyed it, warily. Katniss was going after Wiress, she still had the wire that Beetee had given to her to clean.

Johanna shook her head. "That idiot." Did that girl forget that she was carrying life inside of her? Unless that was all a lie, who even knew. Nonetheless, any one of them would have been better than her to go after the coil. She forced herself not to frown, they were more expendable. Johanna supposed Katniss wasn't aware of that though, the girl on fire had no idea.

Finnick dragged Beetee back to the Cornucopia, and Peeta helped him pull the man onto land as gently as possible. He was coughing and spluttering, but otherwise alright. The hovercraft had taken the body of Wiress by now, and Katniss walked back to where they had gathered, the coil of wire clutched tightly in her hand. Silently, without a word, she placed it in Beetee's lap before wandering across to Peeta and wrapping her arms around him. Johanna took in the people around her, all of them, their faces sober in their loss. There were more here than she had expected, the biggest surprise had been Gloss and Cashmere. She was sure that they had no idea of the plan, had no idea of their true goals in forming this alliance. It made her wonder why they did it, why they hadn't just teamed with Brutus and Enobaria like they'd probably originally planned, and been done with it. If they intended to kill them, they had lost their chance, they were outnumbered it would be suicide. Perhaps they did know something, perhaps they _had_ figured it out. Everything they did, revolved around Katniss. They weren't dumb, they were both victors and mentors, they would have to have noticed that. Gloss met her gaze, and raised an eyebrow. She scowled at him. Even if they did intend to help, even if they had an inkling of what was going on, that didn't keep _him_ from being any less of a bastard. He enjoyed getting a rise out of her. Hell, he enjoyed getting a rise out of everyone. How Kailani had put up with him for so long was beyond her, then again, it wasn't like they talked. Their _encounters_, only had one purpose in mind. She had a distinct feeling that the only reason he and his sister was here, was because of Kailani. She must have said something, she must have _done_ something, because no one else would have. Johanna looked over at her then, kneeling down next to Finnick. His attention was entirely on Kailani, as she shook her head, scoldingly and wrapped the bandages she had used for her hand, around his leg instead. Those two, they frustrated her more than Katniss or Gloss ever could. Every move, every little thing revolved around each other. It always did, and it always would. The only time it didn't, was when Annie became involved. Johanna would quite like to teach her a lesson given the chance, but Finnick would have her head if she tried. Kailani would as well, it would reveal too much. She looked out at the beach, there was no sign of Brutus or Enobaria now, they were long gone, and it was about time they did the same. They were wasting time here, they had to get moving.

"Let's get off this stinking island," she said, breaking the silence that had fallen over them all.

They gathered their weapons, and Cashmere helped Beetee to stand. He insisted that as long as they went slowly, he could walk on his own. Kailani suggested they head to the twelve o' clock beach, it would provide them with hours of calm and keep them well clear of the poisonous fog. Johanna was almost glad she'd only had the blood rain to deal with instead, given the states of her allies, the fog looked like it had been a right pain in the ass to deal with. She went in one direction towards the twelve o' clock beach, and so did Finnick and Peeta.

"Twelve o' clock, right?" asked Peeta. "The tail points to twelve."

"Before they spun us," pointed out Finnick, "I was judging by the sun."

"The sun only tells you it's going on four, Finnick," said Katniss.

"I think Katniss's point is," began Beetee, "Knowing the time doesn't mean you necessarily know where four is on the clock. You might have a general idea of the direction. Unless you consider that they may have shifted the outer ring of jungle as well."

Katniss' eyes screamed confusion, but nonetheless she nodded her head as if she understood exactly what Beetee had explained. "Yes, so any one of these paths could lead to twelve o' clock," she said. Johanna resisted the urge to groan, that means they were right back where they started, _clueless_.

* * *

They circled around the Cornucopia, scrutinising the jungle, trying to recognise something about the sectors that could put them back on track. It was impossible though, it was all uniform in structure, the beach looked the same, the trees all looked the same. They couldn't tell where anything was, even Brutus and Enobaria's tracks had been either blown or washed away.

"I should have never mentioned the clock," said Katniss, her voice bitter. "Now they've taken that advantage away as well."

"Only temporarily," said Kailani. "At ten, we'll see the wave again and be back on track."

"Yes, they can't redesign the whole arena," said Peeta.

Johanna rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter," she said, impatiently. "You had to tell us or we never would have moved our camp in the first place, brainless." If anything, that did seem to make Katniss feel better. "Come on, I need water. Anyone have a good gut feeling?"

They choose a path randomly and take it, having no other choice but to hope for the best. The jungle stared at them menacingly, as they tried to decipher what lay inside, just waiting for them.

"Well, it must be monkey hour, and I don't see any of them in there," said Peeta, "I'm going to try to tap a tree."

"No, it's my turn," said Finnick.

"I'll at least watch you're back."

"It's okay," interrupted Kailani, "I'll go with, Katniss can come and keep watch."

Johanna nodded in agreement. "Good idea, we need you to make another map anyway. The other one washed away." She yanked a large leaf off of the tree and handed it to Peeta. Katniss hesitated, her eyes flickering to the rest of their companions. Gloss, Cashmere, Johanna, Beetee, all of them alone with Peeta. Kailani understood her concern, she didn't know of any alternative plans, the only thing she was worried about was keeping her partner alive. That was all she wanted, she could see it in her eyes. She could relate to that, she supposed.

"Come on Katniss," she said, lightly. "Those trees won't tap themselves." Kailani tried to keep her voice as calm and soothing as possible, nothing too suspicious just enough to ensure that Katniss followed them. It was better if she trusted them more, it would all go much smoother that way. They would get the water, come back and she would find Peeta perfectly fine. Finnick walked into the jungle, and she followed behind him. Katniss joined them, her face still twisted in uncertainty. They went a good fifteen metres in before Finnick found a good tree and began to stab at it with a knife. He glanced at her coolly, and Kailani had the sudden feeling that he was about to question her.

"Gloss keep you from being thrown into the water?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. She was getting real tired of this, of him constantly acting jealous because that was exactly what he was doing. He had been a right mood after Gloss had fished her out of the water at the beginning of the Games, though that might have also had something to do with the fact that she had nearly drowned. "No, we were just holding hands," said Kailani, sarcastically. She couldn't understand it, why he kept focussing on these little things. Katniss glanced at them, but kept her mouth shut.

Finnick feigned a look of hurt. "Come on 'Lani, I was just curious."

She didn't believe him for a second, just fixed him with a long look. "Just be glad he did, I wouldn't have enjoyed being thrown out into the middle of nowhere."

"I could have brought you back in."

"I _know_ you could have."

He stabbed at the tree again, before turning to Katniss. "You got the spile?" She nodded and handed it to him. That was when they heard it, a scream. Katniss became a deathly shade of white, and before they could stop her, she was pelting into the jungle, following the sound. Finnick and Kailani exchanged one look, before going after her. She couldn't go in there alone, and whatever it was, whoever she had heard, it could not be good.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11:**

They can hear her calling for her, calling for Prim, for her sister. There was no way she was here though, or even that it was her voice she had heard. In this place, with the Gamemakers controlling everything that happened, it could have been anything. They caught up to Katniss, and she just stood there, her face twisted in anger but the panic still there as she cleaned her arrow with a strip of moss.

"Katniss?" said Finnick, his voice careful, unwilling to startle her.

She didn't look at them "I'm okay, I'm fine," she said. It was unconvincing, but they didn't question her. "I thought I heard my sister but-" Another piercing scream cut her off, and Kailani was sure that her heart had stopped. Her head snapped to Finnick, and she watched, unable to do anything as the fear crossed over his face.

"Finnick-" started Kailani, but he was already gone, bolting off after the voice. When it came to do with Annie Cresta, Finnick did not and would not listen to reason. She knew that better than anyone. She didn't hesitate, she ran off after him, trying to keep up but failing. He was too fast for her normally, let alone in this state.

"Finnick, wait!" yelled Katniss. She could hear her following after them, but Kailani didn't have time to look back at her. She ran, the sound of Annie screaming still ringing around the jungle, loud and clear.

"Annie!" screamed Finnick, desperately, "Annie!"

Kailani felt sick, and not because they had just run half a kilometre uphill. She wondered briefly, as Finnick paced the foot of a large tree, the sounds of his beloved emanating from within the leaves, if it would have been easier for him had he known the truth, had Annie not been this vision of the perfect human being in his head. What would the Gamemakers use against him then? Would it be as easy to send him into this state of panic, into this terrified man about to crack under the strain? She didn't know, and she didn't know what she could do to help him. Kailani inched closer to him, slowly, cautiously. He would have been climbing that tree had the first decent limb not begun well out of their reach.

"Finnick," she tried. But he wasn't listening, he was in his own world and Annie's screams probably drowned her out. Those horrible screams of terror and pain, of absolute fear. Katniss began climbing the tree next to it, and finally, Kailani made her move. She grabbed Finnick by the hand, and stilled his movements, forcing him to look at her.

"Annie," he said, again. His voice filled with despair. He tried to reach the tree again, but she was stronger than she looked and held him in his place.

"Finnick, _listen to me_." Suddenly, the screams stopped and a bird fell at their feet. She glanced down at it. It had an arrow in its neck, but it was clear enough what it was. It was a jabberjay. "Look, see. It's not her, she's at home, she is _safe_. Annie is not here."

Another sound started up, they were old, broken screams. Kailani stiffened, despite herself. It was her mother. She sounded so hurt, so in pain, like an animal that just wanted to die. Finnick stared at her, his face pained. "No, it's not Annie, it's not Mags," he agreed, "But it is their voices. Jabberjays mimic what they hear, where did they get those screams, Kailani?" She could see all of the colour leave Katniss' face once more, and she swayed dangerously.

"You don't think they…" Katniss trailed off, horrified.

Kailani shook her head. "No, no I don't believe, I won't and neither should you two." As real as it was, she refused to believe that Snow and the Gamemakers had gotten their hands on all of these people, on enough people from each district, connected to each tribute to be able to give the jabberjays their ammunition. It was too much work, even for them.

"They took them, they're torturing them," snapped out Finnick, stubbornly. Katniss sunk down to her knees, staring at the ground. "I know it."

"Stop it, stop _this_."

"No! No, Kailani! Because it's _Annie_, I-" A man's voice had started up now as well, and immediately Katniss was on her feet. Finnick grabbed her arm before she could run after it. "No, it's not him." He started pulling her downhill, Kailani along with her. "We're getting out of here!" Katniss struggled, fiercely but Finnick would not relent. "It's not him! It's a mutt!" he shouted, "Come on!" Kailani tried to pull from his grip, she could walk on her own she didn't need help but it was too tight. It would probably bruise by tomorrow. She caught sight of Johanna, Peeta, Gloss and Cashmere hovering by the tree line. They just stood there, not moving. Peeta's lips were moving, but none of them could hear him. The wall between them is so transparent they don't even notice it is there until they smack into it, hard. The three of them bounced back to the jungle floor, and despite herself, Kailani let out a small scream as she fell onto her hand. Beetee behind them all, looked at them sadly. They were so close to camp yet so far, they were trapped in here until the hour was up. She glanced over at Finnick, his nose was gushing blood from the impact but that wasn't what worried her, she wasn't sure he could last the rest of the hour, not in here. The birds began to gather, she could see them lining up on the branches, flying into the trees. And once again, the screams began. There was no way through the barrier, no weapon made a dent and Kailani didn't have to investigate further to know that it would encase the entire wedge they were in. They had no choice but to wait it out, and Finnick gave in immediately. He sunk down to the ground, his back hunched, his hands clenched over his ears so tightly it was as if he was trying to crush his own skull. Kailani could hear her mother amongst the fray, Asher too. There were the children that lived down the road from them, the ones she and Finnick had taught to swim. All of them screaming, crying, all of them in indescribable pain. Katniss fought against it for a little while, she emptied her quiver of arrows killing as many jabberjays she could but there were too many of them. As soon as one fell, another appeared. She stopped trying, and curled up beside Finnick, doing her best to block out the noises. Kailani kept her distance, she couldn't help it, because it wasn't just the sounds of those they loved being tortured. There was something else as well, something meant only for her. The birds sat close by, eyeing her hungrily. The Gamemakers must have known that she had had more sense, if anything that only proved her point, that these noises couldn't have been real but no one was in any condition to listen to her, nor really was she that keen to talk. Not when they began to taunt her, it was no one's voice in particular. It was a cold, neutral sound but it was enough. _'Liar'_, it said. _'He will hate you for this, for keeping it from him'_. Neither Finnick nor Katniss heard anything beyond the screams, the begging for help. _'Liar, liar, liar, liar'_. She looked out beyond the invisible wall, to Johanna who knew everything about her and gave her one single defeated look. Kailani would have preferred the screams over this, over the one thing that made her feel worse than anything else. They probably didn't even know what they were taunting her with, but then again, they didn't have too. They knew enough. She took a deep breath, and clenched her eyes closed. It would be over soon, it would be done and the accursed things would be silenced. _'You deceive, you lie, you are no friend to him'_. But it was like they were reading her mind, was she really that transparent? No, because otherwise Finnick would have known long ago that something was wrong, that everything was not as it should be. _'Liar, liar, liar, liar, liar'_. Kailani flinched. The voices may have been fake, but those words were the truth. She was a liar, she had been lying to her best-friend for years. The woman he loved was cheating on him, he was living a lie all because she didn't have the guts to tell him, he was suffering now, because she didn't have the guts to tell him. She couldn't do this, she couldn't hold out the rest of the hour like this. Exhausted, Kailani slipped to the ground. Johanna tried to get her attention. Her, Gloss, Cashmere, she was the only one left that was still half-aware of what was going on around them, she was the only one left that they could help. But she was too tired to keep paying attention. Kailani wrapped her arms around her legs, and kept her eyes shut. Eventually, the noises stopped and Cashmere was coaxing her too her feet.

"Are you alright?" she asked. That was probably the first time she had ever heard her sound caring. Were they friends? Sure, they were all the same age give or take a couple of years. Her, Johanna, Finnick, Gloss and Cashmere. They got along well enough, they spoke to one another, but normally, it was all just polite small talk. This was the first time she had actually heard some emotion in her voice, maybe she was softening up to them all a bit.

"Better than them," said Kailani, glancing over at Finnick and Katniss.

"I don't know," said Johanna, sceptically. "You look about as bad as they do. I suppose you heard you mother?"

"Of course, but that wasn't what-" She frowned. _'Liar, liar, liar, liar'_. The sound still rang through her head. "Finnick heard Annie." Kailani almost scowled at that name, almost gave away how much the jabberjays had affected her. If not for her, if not for what she did- hell, if not for what she was probably doing at that very moment, then everything would be fine. "I think I need to talk him."

Johanna caught the true meaning, her eyes widened and she glanced over at Finnick. "Are you serious? Now? What did those things say to you?"

She lowered her voice, she couldn't let Finnick know anything. "They know I've been lying Johanna, _I can't do it anymore_, I can't-" She broke off, and ran a hand over her face. Peeta was trying to convince Katniss that it wasn't real, Finnick too. He listened intently, hung on to every word. But it was real for her, the Capitol may have been able to manipulate the voices but it was _real for her_.

Cashmere shook her head, her blue eyes narrowed. If there was one thing she hated more than anything, it was being out of the loop. "What's going on? What are you two talking about? If this is about you being in love with Finnick-"

Kailani hushed her, and stared at her incredulity. "I don't know what you're talking about but _no_, that is not what it is."

"It should be." Johanna nodded her head in agreement.

"Fuck off," she spat, "Both of you." Kailani wasn't in the mood for that kind of crap, for them to tell her what she should do. She knew what she needed to do now, there was no point putting it off. Maybe it would ease his pain, just a little bit (or maybe, it would make him feel worse).

* * *

It was possible then. Beetee had made it very clear how simple it was too mimic and change voices, to be able to use that against them. Kailani could have been right, Annie could very well be safe at home. Then again, perhaps not. In here, it was impossible tell, all he knew was the he would never get the sound of Annie screaming like that, out of his head. The water lapped at his feet, and he took a deep breath.

"Hey." Her voice was quiet, and sounded odd, but he still recognised who it was as Kailani sat next to him. He would always recognise her voice. Finnick glanced over at her, as the guilt gnawed at him. He was suddenly very aware that he hadn't even spoken to her since she'd tried to calm him down. He may have heard Annie, but she had heard her mother and a great deal of other things as well. It was such a blur, as soon as they had hit that wall he had just sunk in on himself, he didn't know what else to do. He had completely forgotten that Kailani was there too, she'd just disappeared. He remembered Katniss, she had been next to him, but Kailani, he didn't know where she had gone. It was strange of her, not to have been there, to have kept her distance, not like her at all and studying her now, he realised she still wasn't herself. Not that he could blame her, he was the same.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," he said.

"Don't you be sorry," said Kailani, sharply. She sighed, "I'm the one who should be sorry."

Finnick frowned. That didn't sound right, she had done nothing that warranted her apologising. "What are you talking about?"

She didn't look at him, just stared out at the water. Her body was tense, her hand clenched tightly at her side. Finnick had the sudden urge to grab it in his own, to soothe her, hold her but he held back. Now wasn't the time, there wasn't really any appropriate time to be that affectionate with her, people had enough ideas as it was.

"Finnick, I need to tell you something, I need to tell you something really important." Her voice shook, slightly, and that worried him even more. He tried to keep his face calm though, at least for her sake.

"You know you can always tell me anything."

Kailani winced. That wasn't the reaction he had been hoping for. "This probably isn't the best time. Johanna has been threatening me to tell you for ages, but I just- I couldn't do it but after that, after hearing _them_. I can't do it anymore, I'm tired. I am _always_ tired, and guilty and I-" She shook her head, to herself more than anything he suspected. "I have kept this from you for too long, but she looked at me with those eyes. You know how hard they are to refuse, and- and you were so happy." Finnick could feel the fear bubbling up in his stomach, the panic seeping through him. This was serious, this was really serious and it scared him to no end. Her face hardened and finally, _finally_, Kailani faced him. "Annie, isn't who you think she is, Finnick. She's been _cheating_ on you, sleeping with other men."

He didn't know what he was thinking, but in an instant, Finnick was on his feet glaring down at Kailani. Anger pulsed through his veins and he could have sworn, that his vision went red. "You're wrong." Annie would never do that, not his dear, sweet Annie Cresta. It wasn't who she was, even before the Games. And he had thought, that Kailani wasn't someone to accuse her of such things either. It was _Annie_, for God's sake.

Kailani pushed herself to her feet. "I'm not wrong, Finnick. _I saw her_."

It was a lie, she was lying. She had to have been. "No, you didn't. You're lying to me." Kailani flinched. "I don't know why, but you are. Annie would never do that to me, she wouldn't-"

"She would!" yelled Kailani. The others, standing by the edge of the jungle, glanced over at them. "What don't you understand about me seeing her? It wasn't just once either, it is time and time again for _years_ now! She is not who you think she is."

Stubbornly, Finnick shook his head. He refused to believe it, refused to believe that his happiness was nothing more than a figment of his imagination. "It's not Annie, Kailani, it's _you_. You aren't who I thought you were, or you've changed, or something." "

She shook her head, her eyes full of pity. "No, Finnick."

"Yes! BECAUSE IT'S NOT TRUE!" He leaned down and in seconds, had his trident in hand and pointed at her throat. The colour drained out of her face, and he was only vaguely aware of Johanna swearing in the distance, of their companions getting to their feet, inching closer warily. Finnick breathed heavily, his hands shaking. "Stop this," he begged, "_Please_, just stop, stop lying."

"I have," she whispered. His grip on the trident tightened, his knuckles whitening. "I know I'm just as bad for keeping it from you, and for telling you now, of all times but it's the truth, I promise you that." Slowly, she leaned down to pick up her spear and stepped away. One step, two steps and then she turned around. It was wrong, he knew it the moment he started to position his trident, the moment he started aiming for her back. This was Kailani, his best-friend, or at least, it was. She didn't do these kind of things, she didn't hurt him intentionally. He wasn't sure what his motivation was, _but it was wrong_. Whatever his brain was thinking, whatever awful things he labelled her as, _it was wrong_. There was no time to take it back though, as he let go of the trident and it was sent soaring towards her. It was a good thing she was who she was, if it was anyone else, Johanna, Gloss, Cashmere, Katniss, none of them would have been fast enough, would have been skilled enough to stop that trident. But she was. They had been training together their entire lives, using tridents and spears, she could stop it, and she did. Kailani spun around, and knocked away the trident. The look she gave him though, it was something that would haunt him forever. All she had been trying to do was clear her conscience, he knew that, he could see that. As much as he wanted to deny everything that she told him, he knew she would have no reason to lie like that, to hurt him like that. It wasn't what she wanted, none of this was what she wanted. That look, that terrible look of fear and betrayal, it cleared his mind better than anything. Finnick couldn't believe what he had just done. If she had been a second too slow, she would be dead, _he_ would have killed her. And it wasn't the first time her district partner had tried to do something like that. That, was what he saw in the look she gave him. That, and a whole lot of other things. He could deal with what Annie had done later, process all of that later, because there was only one thing on his mind now and that was Kailani.

"'Lani…" he started. Finnick took a step closer to her, to her frozen form but as soon as he did, she began to back away.

"Don't-" Her voice was ice cold, and it hit him like a set of knives. "Don't call me that, and don't come near me." She was shutting him out, him and everything else, just like she had after she had been forced to kill her partner in her own Games. He wouldn't let her do that though, he couldn't.

"Kailani, _please_. I didn't mean-" But she wasn't even listening to him. She turned sharply on her heel and stalked back to their camp. Adamantly, he ignored the others as he quickly followed behind her. "Kailani!" She snatched up a few rolls of bread, took a sip of water and made for the jungle. Panic flared inside of him, but it was Johanna that got to her first. She grabbed her wrist and held Kailani in her place, giving her a long look.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked.

With a fierce tug, Kailani escaped her grip. "I'm leaving." She said it so simply, as if that was all it was, but they all knew better than that. Finnick wanted to throw up, he had done this. He was an idiot, he should have listened to her, taken it all in better. _He shouldn't have blamed her._

"You leave, and you die," said Johanna.

Kailani's face didn't change, it stayed cool and collected. That just made it so much worse. "I know."

She knew, of course she knew. Kailani was walking to her death, she was doing it willingly and all because of _him_. She was doing it to get away from him but he wouldn't let her. Kailani could hate him all she liked, he would deserve it, but he would _not let her die_.

"Kailani, don't do this," said Beetee, "We need you."

She scoffed, "No, you don't. If anything, it's about time we go a down a number, there are too many of us as it is."

"What about your mother?" asked Cashmere.

Kailani didn't even hesitate. "It doesn't matter anymore." She pushed past Johanna, and began to walk away. She did not run, nor jog, she walked and that made catching up to her a lot easier for Finnick. _He was not going to let her die_. However, he also knew she was not going to back down easily. She had her mind made up, she was done. He just needed to her stay though, not forgive him, not even look at him if she didn't want too, just stay. He shoved her roughly against a tree, and trapped her there, or at least he tried. Finnick knew the others were watching, but he didn't care. Kailani fought hard against him, and before he knew it, she had kneed him in the groin. He groaned in pain, but he couldn't let her get away, that was all he focussed on. She had picked up her speed now, she just wanted to leave and without thinking, Finnick lunged after her. He knocked her to the ground and still, she struggled. Of course she did, he wasn't surprised, he was prepared. He pinned her down, and crawled on top of her so that he straddled her, using his body weight to keep her from escaping. Not that she didn't try, she did everything she could, swinging at him furiously. Kailani let out a scream of frustration, and he grabbed her wrists, forcing them above her head, doing his best not to jostle her bad hand too much. "That's enough!" he yelled. She glared at him, icily but stilled nonetheless. "Just stop and think about this for a second, think about what you're doing."

"Oh, but I thought you wanted me to stop lying? That's what I'm doing, I'm not lying to you, or _myself_." He cringed, and his grip on her wrists tightened slightly.

"Please don't do this, please, _please_." Finnick leaned his forehead against hers, and adamantly, she turned her gaze away, staring off to the side. "I'm begging you. We were supposed to be doing this together, that was all that mattered, remember?" His voice cracked, he couldn't help himself. None of this, was going as they had planned. "Just stay Kailani, please. I won't survive this without you. If I had hit you with that trident, I would have _begged_ them to end me because I couldn't have-" He broke off, and still Kailani glared adamantly to the side. That was fine, as long as she was listening. "Just stay. If not for me, then for all of them, for Mags who is watching us _right now_. Just think it through Kailani, don't do this for something I did."

She was silent, until finally, Kailani turned her head and looked at him. He couldn't read her anymore, had no idea what she was thinking. His stomach turned, and he didn't even bother trying to hide how pathetic he was sure he looked. Maybe it would convince her to stay but given her mood, given the way she was still staring at him, he didn't think he would. "Get off of me." There was something in her voice this time, something else. Finnick had almost forgotten the position they were in. He was suddenly very aware of Kailani beneath him, but he had to make sure, he couldn't let her go just for her to leave.

"Are you going to stay?"

"Just get off of me."

"Kailani…"

She growled, "Alright! I'll stay, just for the love of God-"

Finnick scrambled off of her, and Kailani got to her feet. She didn't meet his gaze, just brushed past him and stalked back to camp. Without a word, she snatched up a few shells and made back for the jungle. "I'll get water," she said.

"But the jabberjays," said Katniss, speaking up.

Kailani just scoffed and kept walking. Glaring at him, Johanna followed behind her. "Nothing they could do, could beat this," she said, pointedly. Finnick swallowed, thickly but didn't say anything to defend himself, she was right.

* * *

Kailani felt like she couldn't breathe. The tree they had found earlier still had the spile stuck in it, and she stared it at it, blankly. Everything was wrong, and she couldn't breathe. She had held herself together before, blocked everything out because it was all she could do not to break down right there, right then. She refused to do it in front of _him_, never again would she let him see her broken. He never really did see her like that, she'd hidden it away back then as well. Just thinking about Finnick though, it _hurt_. Tears streamed down her face, angry hot tears that would not stop. All she could feel was the pain, the betrayal. Kailani had never thought he would take it like that, she knew it would be a shock, but she never thought he would turn on her. She wasn't stupid, she knew he regretted what he had done but for the briefest of moments, for just a flicker of a second, he had wanted her dead. She had seen the sun gleaming off of his trident out of the corner of her eye and reacted out of instinct, if not for that, she would have had a trident in her back, the cannon would have gone off and the hovercraft would have come to take her body away. _He almost killed her_. Kailani let out a scream, she couldn't help it, she had too. She couldn't care less if it brought the other tributes to them, maybe they would put her out of her misery. That was the only thing she knew, pain, so much pain. It was like everything inside of her had become dark and empty, there was no light, no silver lining, nothing. Kailani took it all out on the tree, she didn't care that her hand was broken, that punching the hardened trunk only made it worse, she just knew that that pain was an easier pain to deal with than all of the rest.

"Hey!" yelled Johanna, trying to pull away, "Hey! That's enough!" She tugged her from the tree, and Kailani fell to the ground. But she didn't care, she didn't care about anything anymore. A broken sob escaped her, and that tightness in her chest was back again. She couldn't breathe. Johanna sighed, tiredly and slipped down against the tree, across from her. "I didn't think he would do that," she said.

Kailani shook her head, "I can't do this. Just tell them I lied, just tell them you found me dead or something-"

"No!" She was angry, Kailani didn't have to look at her to know that. "You're just going to fucking give up, really? If I can keep going, so can you. Don't forget, you still have other people out there. I don't. The only people I have left, are in here falling into their own separate deep depressions. Isn't it great?" Johanna sneered, bitterly.

It was a fair point, she supposed. She still had her mother, and even if she didn't want to make it out of here all that much, even if she would have rathered just laid down and died, Kailani at least wanted the others to get out. She could find it in herself to help them do that, and if it came down to it, if someone had to stay behind then she would gladly volunteer. Kailani sat up, and leaned against a tree. That didn't mean it hurt any less though, everything hurt, everything was still wrong.

It was the cannon that brought them all together on the beach again, albeit unwillingly in the case of some it seemed. Cashmere watched as a hovercraft appeared over what they estimated to be the six-to-seven o' clock zone. The claw dipped down five different times to retrieve the pieces of one body. It had been completely torn about, it was impossible to tell who it was, but whatever happened there, she didn't ever want to know. Kailani stared over at the wedge, her face unreadable. She was worried about her, about what she was thinking. She didn't want to go near whatever beast lurked in that section of the jungle, but Kailani, she almost looked like she did. She eyed it with almost a curiosity, until she caught her staring. The tenseness in their camp was almost overwhelming as Peeta added to his map what they knew about the wedges. Kailani was keeping a good distance from everyone else, Finnick weaved yet another basket and a net for fishing, his emotions barely in check. He seemed torn before staring after Kailani, and staring at the ground in shame. Even her brother was unwilling to call him out for what he had done, for damn near killing Kailani in his anger, he was beating himself up enough about it. Besides, he just found out his girlfriend had been cheating on him, the woman who was without a doubt, the love of his life, whether he had yet realised it or not, had become a completely different person in the last few hours, was cold and uncaring, wanted to die all because of what he'd done. Finnick Odair was having the worst day of his life, there was no need for any of them to add on to that. The rest of them just, went about their routine, silently. It was when they were about to settle down for their meal of raw fish, when the anthem begun. The faces of those killed were projected into the sky. Wiress. The female from 5, she couldn't remember her name, it was Cathia or something like that. The morphling woman who gave her life for Peeta. Blight. The man from 10, Wyatt. And Chaff, he must have been the one the beast had killed. Six. That was six people killed. There was barely any of them left now, only Brutus and Enobaria. What was going to happen when they were dead too? It would just be the eight of them, assuming that Kailani didn't get herself killed between now and then. She had the feeling it wasn't about the last person standing this time around though, she and Gloss had had the same ideas, had seen what was going on. Everyone only seemed to care about protecting Katniss, and Peeta by extension. They had heard the rumours, they knew what she represented, she was the mockingjay, she was a symbol of rebellion. Is that what was going on here? Cashmere wasn't sure, and she definitely could not ask. They'd play along with it though, if there was a chance, just the slightest chance that this might end different, she would take it. Yes, District One tended to be ruthless, was focussed more on winning than anything else in the past, but it was bigger than just that now and Cashmere knew that if it came down to just them, Gloss would end his own life for her to live if he had too. She didn't want that, she didn't want to lose her brother.

A parachute floated down to them, a pile of bite-sized square-shaped rolls connected to it. "These are from your district, right, Beetee?" asked Peeta.

"Yes, from District Three," nodded Beetee, "How many are there?"

Finnick counted them, turning each one over in his hands before setting them out in a neat configuration. It was something he had done every time they were sent bread, he was pedantic about it. "Twenty-four," he said, quietly.

"An even two dozen, then?"

"Twenty-four on the nose. How should we divide them?"

"Three each, I suppose," said Cashmere. No one else seemed inclined to answer him, everything was still so awkward and uncomfortable.

They waited until the tidal wave flooded out the ten-to-eleven-o'clock section and the water receded, to make camp on the beach. Theoretically, we should have a full twelve hours of safety from the jungle. There was an unpleasant chorus of clicking coming from the eleven-to-twelve-o' clock wedge and Cashmere shuddered. She did not like bugs, not at all. Particularly not the ones that would undoubtedly attempt to kill her. However, whatever bugs were making that sound stayed within the confines of the jungle, and just in case, we kept off of that part of the beach. Peeta and Katniss offer to keep the first watch, and she isn't one to complain. They were all exhausted, and any chance for sleep is one they have to take.

It was midnight when she started awake again, as the lightning struck the tree it had been every night. Kailani had her eyes open, Cashmere doubted she had ever gone to sleep and Finnick too had woken. He sat up, his back straight, his fingers digging into the sand tightly.

"I can't sleep anymore," he said, "One of you should rest." Cashmere turned her head, and noticed as he did, the position Katniss and Peeta were in. The way they were wrapped around each other, the expressions on their faces. "Or both of you. I can watch alone."

"It's too dangerous," said Peeta, "I'm not tired, I can-"

"No," interrupted Cashmere. She pushed herself up, brushing her long blonde hair out of her eyes. "It's okay, I'll do it. You need your sleep too."

Peeta looked about to argue, but she just shot him a sharp look. His mouth closed and instead, he nodded his head gratefully. He and Katniss wandered over to the others, and settled down on the ground together. Kailani had turned their back on them now, if Finnick noticed, he didn't say anything. Placing herself down against a tree close to him, she took a small sip of water and looked out at the beach. It was deceptively calm, almost tranquil under the light of the moon.

"Does it remind you of home?" she asked, finally. Cashmere didn't look at him, but she figured she didn't have too. They could have spent the night in silence, but there had been enough of that today.

He glanced at her, from the corner of his eye. "A little," he admitted. "It's a lot easier when we're not being attacked by poison fog, but it's not nearly as beautiful as home." Finnick frowned, and despite himself, despite that she wasn't even looking at him, she saw as he glanced back at Kailani. He probably knew she was awake, she was the lightest sleeper of all of them. Home for him, would never be the same.

"I didn't see much of it during my victory tour," said Cashmere, lightly. "Just the boring parts, I suspect."

Finnick smiled, slightly. "You should see it, its paradise. The water is sparkling and clear, the blue is like you would never believe. Even if it gets hot, the cool sea breeze makes it much more bearable. And you will always, be able to find a stretch of empty beachfront if you know where to go." He glanced at her, his face reminiscent. "Its _home_."

Cashmere nodded, understandingly. That was it, that was what made the different. She missed her home too, there was nothing like it. There was nothing that could ever, or would ever be like it.

It was home.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12: **

Kailani woke early the next morning. Well, that might have been a stretch. She never really went to sleep, she tried, but it hadn't happened. Finnick and Cashmere both glanced at her as she stood, silently. She refused to meet either of their gazes, simply picked up her spear and made for the water's edge. The sun had barely started to rise, as she searched out shellfish, and anything that could provide her with something useful to do. Being under the water, it was calming. If she closed her eyes, she thought she could have been anywhere else. And then someone dragged her to the surface, and Gloss raised an eyebrow. Kailani rolled her eyes, tugging herself from his grip.

"Didn't need saving this time," she muttered, annoyed. Everyone watched her so much more closely now, it was as if she was the symbol of this rebellion, it was ridiculous.

"You saying you weren't tempted to stay under there?" asked Gloss, unconvinced.

She growled. "Fuck off."

"Someone's in a bad mood." He ignored the murderous look she gave him, and picked up her spear, testing it in his grip. "You think I could get a fish with this?"

"No."

"That's not nice."

"A knife, maybe. A spear, absolutely not."

Gloss shrugged, he couldn't argue with that, he was useless with a spear. He tossed it aside, and eyed her, thoughtfully. "Why do you look prettier than the rest of us right now?"

Kailani knew what he meant, at least she hoped she did. "The scabs from the poison have healed enough now to be scrubbed off." She nodded over to the sand, "Use that, it'll make it easier. And while you're at it, I'll leave it to you, to tell the others." Kailani brushed past him, picked up her spear and scooped up the shellfish. Without a word, she dropped her haul in front of Johanna, and plopped down under the shade of the trees. The higher the sun got, the more the temperature increased. Finnick and Cashmere washed themselves clean after Gloss had informed them of her discovery and as more bread arrived, the same amount as yesterday, Katniss and Peeta went down to the water to do the same. They were talking about something, that much was clear, but it didn't concern any of them all the much. They had bigger issues to deal with, and Beetee had a plan. It was all to kill Brutus and Enobaria, or so he had said. Kailani suspected an ulterior motive, actually she knew there was. This was about the arena. With their numbers, there was no way they needed to go to such extravagant lengths to kill the victors from District Two. They were good, but they weren't that good. The wire, the lightning tree, it was all so that they could destroy this place. Everything all seemed to blur by as they made their plans, Kailani knew what she had too, she didn't listen to the rest. The dense, humid air was smothering, as they left camp to make for the tree. She was tired, she was a little dizzy, that was what she got for not eating much. Maybe if she collapsed though, they'd leave her behind. However, Kailani doubted it, someone would probably just be forced to carry her, not that she would encourage it. Beetee fussed for a while, examined the lightning tree as everyone else divided duties. At what must have been eleven o' clock, the sound of clicking started up again in the sector adjacent. It was far louder now, that it was on the beach the night before. Cashmere glanced warily into the jungle, as the rest, listened intently.

"It's not mechanical," said Beetee, decidedly.

"I'd guess insects," said Katniss, "Maybe beetles."

"Something with pincers," added Finnick.

The sound swelled, as if alerted by their quiet words, and the proximity of live flesh. The louder they got, the more uncomfortable Cashmere began to look.

"We should get out of here, anyway," she said, "There's less than an hour before the lightning starts."

Not that they go all that far, just to the sector over, to the blood-rain section. It was all rather relaxed, actually. They set up next to the identical tree in their wedge, ate the food that Katniss and the others had hunted. The lightning struck like clockwork at noon, and then they circled back to the ten o' clock beach. It was smooth and damp, swept clean by the recent wave and as Beetee worked with his wire, they all went about their own devices. Napping, eating, swimming, it was all so normal. But it wasn't, it would never be.

* * *

The anthem began, as it always did, but there were no faces in the sky that night. The audience would be getting restless, thirsting for more blood. They were probably avidly awaiting the moment their little alliance, broke up. The promise of Beetee's trap, kept the Gamemakers from sending out other attacks, but that was only a temporary respite. The shells from their seafood feast earlier that evening, lay strewn around the camp as they made for the lightning tree once more. It was roughly nine o' clock, from what Katniss and Finnick could tell and the walk uphill was particularly brutal, given how full she was. The last dozen oysters she had scoffed down might have been a mistake.

Beetee asked Gloss and Finnick to assist him, as the rest of them, stood guard. Before he even attached any wire to the tree, Beetee unrolled metres and metres of the stuff. He had Finnick secure it tightly around a broken branch and lay it on the ground, before he and Gloss stood either side of the tree, passing the spool back and forth as they wrapped the wire around the trunk. The intricate wire work on the tree was completed just as they heard the wave begin. That was when Beetee revealed the rest of his plan. Since they moved the swiftest through the trees, he wanted her, Johanna and Kailani to take the coil down through the jungle, unwinding the wire as they went. They didn't need three, but Kailani would act as an extra guard should Brutus and Enobaria attack. The three of them were to lay the wire across the twelve o' clock beach and then drop the metal spool, with whatever was left, deep into the water, making sure it sunk. After that, they just had to run. If they left now, at that very second, they _should_ make it back to safety. At least, that was the plan.

"I want to go with them as a guard," said Peeta, immediately, "Kailani has a broken hand, she-"

"She is perfectly capable of wielding her weapon," interrupted Kailani, harshly. He winced slightly, at her tone and Katniss might have told her to ease up if not for the day she had had yesterday, and for the fact that Kailani might have turned on her had she said anything. Finnick stared at the ground forlornly, she supposed Kailani wouldn't normally have been like this, she would have been calmer, more kind and more gentle, if not for him.

Beetee intervened. "Besides, you're too slow. I need you on this end," he said, "There's no time to debate this. I'm sorry, but if the girls are to get out of there alive, they need to move now." He handed the coil to Johanna.

Katniss didn't like this anymore than Peeta did, she would have much preferred staying near him, making sure that above all else, he stayed alive. But Beetee was right, and if she trusted anyone aside from Peeta, it was Beetee.

"It's okay," said Katniss, "We'll just drop the coil and come straight back up."

"Not into the lightning zone," reminded Beetee, "Head for the tree in the one-to-two-o' clock sector. If you find you're running out of time, move over one more. Don't even think about going back on the beach, though, until I can assess the damage."

Ignoring the fact that everyone else was there, that everyone stared at them, she took Peeta's face in her hands. "Don't worry. I'll see you at midnight." She kissed him, lightly, and before he could object any further, she pulled back and turned to Johanna and Kailani. "Ready?"

"Why not?" said Johanna, with a shrug.

"Kailani you wanna take lead? Johanna can guard the rear and I'll unwind. We can trade off later."

Kailani nodded, and without further discussion, the three of them headed down the slope. There was very little discussion in fact, as they worked. They moved well, made good time as one manned the coil, and two kept watch and then the clicking started up. That meant it was just past eleven.

"Better hurry," said Johanna, "I want to put a lot of distance between me and that water before the lightning hits, just in case Volts miscalculated something."

"I'll take the coil for a while," said Katniss.

"Here." She passed it over and that was when it happened. Both of their hands were still on the metal cylinder as it vibrated slightly and suddenly, the thin golden wire sprung down at them, bunching in tangled loops and curling around their wrists. Kailani turned away from the jungle, to glance back at them. Then, the severed end snaked up to their feet. It only took a second to register the rapid turn of events. They all exchanged looks, but none of them said the words out loud. Someone not far above them had cut the wire, and they would be on them at any moment. Katniss had just got a hand to one of her arrows, when the metal cylinder smashed into the side of her head. All she knew after that, was that she was lying on her back on the vines, a terrible pain at her left temple.

"Hurry," hissed Kailani.

Katniss had no idea what was going on, and there was something wrong with her eyes. Her vision blurred in and out of focus, and she strained to make the two moons that floated in the sky above her, go back to one. There was a weight on her chest, and Katniss realised that Johanna was on top of her, pinning her at the shoulders with her knees. There was a stab at her left forearm, and she tried to jerk away but she was still too incapacitated. Something sharp, a knife probably, dug into her flesh and twisted. An excruciating pain ripped through her and a warmth ran down her wrist. Johanna swiped down her arm, and coated half of her face with blood, _her own_.

"Stay down," she growled. Her weight disappeared, and just like that, she was alone. Everything spun around her, she was disorientated, confused and losing a lot of blood. However, Katniss did know one thing, Johanna had betrayed her, attacked her, Kailani too by the sounds. Did that mean Finnick had joined them as well? Did they have their own alliance going? As angry and uncomfortable as they were at each other, Finnick wouldn't leave Kailani, not again. Katniss could hear footsteps, two pairs. They were heavy against the jungle floor, not trying to conceal their whereabouts.

It was Brutus that she heard. "She's as good as dead! Come on, Enobaria!" They moved away, they didn't even check to make sure.

She drifted in and out of unconsciousness. Was she really that bad? Perhaps, it was hard to tell, she knew she was losing a lot of blood, that was for sure. If Johanna, Kailani and Finnick had turned on them, what about the others? Had Gloss and Cashmere been in on this as well, it wouldn't have surprised. What about Beetee? Him, she couldn't be sure about. Katniss was fair game now, her and Peeta. Her eyes flew open, and she panicked. Peeta was still there, Peeta was with them. What if they had all turned, what if the wire being cut was a signal? Her heart leapt into her throat, and somehow, she managed to find the strength to rise to her feet. She had to find him, she could not let him die. He was the one who was meant to survive all this.

* * *

He didn't know the exact plan, all Gloss knew was that it wasn't what they had discussed. They went with it though, he remembered the look Kailani gave him the last night they had been together, and he could see the look Finnick was giving him and Cashmere now. Trust them, go with this, it was for the better. They had had a different plan from the beginning and that had become clearer and clearer as the days passed. He knew these people, he knew what they were capable of, and they were capable _of anything_. Even outsmarting the President, the Gamemakers, the Capitol. They could do it all, if they just worked together. And that was what they were doing, it was what they had been doing since the very start and always, it revolved around Katniss. Peeta held no such trust in them though, as soon as Finnick cut the wire leading out to the beach, he had become confused, reluctant to listen to them. Beetee had insisted that it was a part of the plan, but he wouldn't listen, he went off in search of Katniss, of his love. No one followed him, they had bigger things to concern themselves with. Finnick pulled out a knife, and dug it into his arm. The tracker, he was pulling it out. So, there had been a bigger plan. Gloss exchanged looks with his sister and right there and then, they made the decision to follow their lead. They had followed them this far, and if they were removing the trackers, it was a good sign that they intended for more than one of them to survive that night. Beetee was already pulling the small piece of electronics out, as Gloss and Cashmere, did the same.

"Go, find Katniss," said Beetee, and Finnick nodded. He didn't need telling twice. He followed the cut wire, and Gloss wasn't sure what had compelled him to do it, but he went with him.

"Stay with him," he called back to Cashmere, glancing at Beetee who had turned his attention to the tree once more. She probably would have argued with him had he not left before she had had the chance. Beetee was important in all of this, someone needed to be there to protect him, just in case.

"Kailani!" Of course it was her name that Finnick yelled after first. His mission, his task, whatever it was, may have been to find Katniss, but Gloss wondered that if he had too, who he would choose. "Johanna! Katniss!" Finnick had only one thing on his mind, and that was finding their girls. There was no time to be quiet, and he drew more attention to them than anything in this forest ever could have done. It left Gloss feeling on edge, feeling tense. There were still two out there, and they were close by, he knew it, they all did. And as expected, they were found. Finnick didn't even have time to defend himself as Brutus flew from between the trees, knife drawn and aiming for him. Gloss cut him off, tackling the large man to the ground. Brutus may have been bigger, but he was stronger. Finnick hesitated, his eyes wide in shock. They were hardly the best of friends, and the confidence in their loyalty had probably been minimal. Gloss almost rolled his eyes.

"Go!" he roared, twisting Brutus' arm until he heard a distinct crack. He met Finnick's gaze, "And if you get the chance, make sure my sister is safe."

His face hardened, and Finnick nodded. He bounded off into the jungle and Gloss pulled out a knife, in one swift movement. He would be stupid to mess around, he had to end this. Brutus let out a guttural noise from the back of his throat, and fought against him but it was no use, he was in the prime position. He didn't pause, he didn't hesitate, Gloss just sliced his knife across his neck.

* * *

The cannon sounded, and Finnick didn't even bother looking back. Gloss would have finished off Brutus, there was no doubt in his mind about that. He had the upper hand, he wouldn't have let that go. Katniss was his main concern and she could have been anywhere. God knows where she had wandered off to after Johanna had taken the tracker out of her arm, after she had thought she had been attacked. That was when he heard them, Katniss and Peeta, calling for each other above him. They were near the tree, near where Beetee and Cashmere were. He was exhausted, he was losing blood from his arm but with everything he had, he sprinted back up the hill, to the lightning tree. However, he wasn't the only one. Enobaria arrived too, Kailani just a few steps behind her.

"Katniss!" howled Peeta.

But this time, there was no answer. She must have been close, then. He caught a flash of blonde, a little further above them and then he saw her, Katniss. She stood up and pulled back her arrow except it wasn't pointed at them, it was pointed upwards, at the force field, at the spot where it wavered. She let go, and the arrow sailed through the force field without a hitch. Then, the lightning struck. The wire flashed white and for just a moment, the dome burst into a dazzling blue light. It was bright, too bright, he had turn away. That was when the real chaos began, just like that everything around them began to explode. He was thrown back by a blast at his feet, and Finnick slammed hard against the ground. Everything around them was exploding, all of it, everything in the arena. He looked over and there was Kailani, crumpled against a tree, her hand clutched tightly against her. That was all the motivation he needed, all he focussed on. He stumbled forwards, and despite her protests, dragged her to her feet. He was not going to leave her here, that was not an option. Finnick saw the hovercraft, saw the claw drop down and pick up Katniss, and he moved faster, pulling Kailani up the last small hill where he saw Cashmere, crouched down next to an unconscious Beetee. She was shaking, could barely hold herself up.

Her blue eyes widened, "What-?"

Finnick shook his head, "There's no time." A ladder dropped down, and the face of Plutarch Heavensbee, the Head Gamemaker, their inside man in all of this, looked down at them. He wouldn't be able to keep this down there for them long, not now they had Katniss. They were on a tight schedule. Finnick pulled Cashmere up and nudged her towards the ladder, "Go, quickly." Her eyes glanced around, searching for her brother no doubt. But if they weren't here now, then they weren't going to be able to make it here on time. As much as it pained him, as much as he would have preferred to have waited and get all of them on board, they couldn't. They knew the risks they had taken by agreeing to this. They would have to be left behind. Gloss, Johanna, Enobaria, _even Peeta_. The claw dropped down to pick up Beetee, and Finnick shoved Cashmere along slightly, encouraging her to move. She did, albeit unwillingly. Finnick forced Kailani onto the ladder, forced her to grab on, and he took one last glance around. He could see Enobaria, but she was unconscious. And then, Cashmere gasped.

"Gloss!" she screamed.

He was there, but he wasn't moving. He knew he couldn't make it, he managed a smile for his sister and then turned his gaze to him, pointedly. It was his job to make sure that she got out of her safely, that his sister got out safely. Gloss had saved his life, and he owed him that. Finnick hopped onto the ladder, just as it started to move away, and put a hand on Cashmere, to keep her from doing anything foolish. Not that she could have, electricity flowed through the ladder and they were all frozen in their places. Pain crossed her face, and she turned away as they started to be pulled up. Finnick turned his attention to Kailani, her form stiff against the ladder. It was slow going and he watched her like a hawk, in case she slipped, in case something happened but it didn't. They all made it onto the hovercraft, and an uncomfortable silence fell over them. Beetee was nowhere to be found, neither was Katniss, all that waited for them were the sombre faces of Haymitch and Heavensbee.

"Couldn't get Peeta then?" asked Haymitch.

"Is he here?" spat Kailani.

Finnick shook his head, "No," he said, "He didn't stick to the plan."

Cashmere glared at them all, "_What is going on?_" She wanted a proper explanation now. She had lost her brother, she had followed them without really knowing, she was tired, it was only fair.

Plutarch Heavensbee looked at the three of them coolly, "How about we sit down?"

* * *

Something was off, and Kailani was very much aware of that as she stared at the two men before her.

"Where's my mother?" she asked.

Finnick glanced at her, but she ignored him adamantly. Haymitch met her accusing gaze, a frown on his face. "Asher was meant to help her get to the roof-"

"I'm aware of what the plan was, _where is she_?"

Kailani tried to keep herself from shaking, did everything she could to keep her face clean of emotion. But if she wasn't here, then there were only two things that could have happened and she hoped, beyond all hopes, that that thing had been death because the alternative would be so much worse. "I'm sorry, Kailani. Your mother was taken by the Capitol."

She bit back a whimper and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. This wasn't the plan, this had never been the plan. She was _eighty-two_, she wouldn't survive being tortured, she would die in the worst way possible. The screams of the jabberjays came back to mind, and Kailani felt like she was going to be sick. "You bastards," she said, finally. "You _told me_, you would keep her safe."

"We had to prioritise," said Haymitch, "Like you did, remember. Peeta has been taken as well, and Johanna and-"

Kailani had had enough, she launched herself at him with a furious scream. She knew very well who had been taken, who would suffer because they were unlucky, she didn't need a reminder. Haymitch was shoved roughly into the wall of the hovercraft, and suddenly someone was pulling her away. "Kailani, Kailani stop," begged Finnick, burying his head against her shoulder. She struggled against him, but he was stronger than her. His arms held her tightly and she considered giving in to him, just letting go but _then she remembered the beach_. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she held them at bay. This was when she had needed her mother most, her mother and Finnick, but they were both lost to her now. She tore herself from his grip, and glared at him.

"Don't touch me."

He winced, the hurt and pain clear on his face, but she didn't care, not anymore. They could do what they want, she couldn't stand here with them and pretend that everything was okay. Kailani stalked away, moved further into the depths of the hovercraft. She didn't expect Cashmere to follow after her, not when she wanted answers. Kailani was not in a talking mood, she would get nothing from her.

"You should go back to Heavensbee," she said, her voice hoarse from all of the screaming. "He'll explain everything, I can't-"

"Are you alright?" asked Cashmere, suddenly.

Kailani raised an eyebrow. "Are you?"

She sighed, "No." A young man, dressed in black cargo pants, and a black jacket approached them, nervously and they looked at him. He shifted, and without meeting their eyes, held out a pile of clothes. It wasn't much, but it was something. Cashmere took them with a nod, "Thank you," she said. He scampered off, and Kailani took a jacket and a pair of track pants from the pile.

"You know, I would have included everyone given the chance, knowing we could trust them," said Kailani, quietly.

Cashmere nodded, "For this to work, I suppose it would always have been a risk to inform my brother and I of this." Her voice was resigned. "It was all for _her _wasn't it, for Katniss?"

"This is it, this is when our rebellion starts and she is the symbol of all of that. We had to get her out of there above all else." Kailani still wanted to leave, wanted to go hide in some dark corner and just _stay there_. But now wasn't really the time for her to break down, there wasn't enough privacy for that. She was glad, then, that Cashmere had taken it upon herself to follow her. Maybe she had just needed that company, maybe she just didn't feel like being alone but whatever the reason, it was a good distraction. "The districts will be rising up now, making their plans. Come on, we'll get changed and find out what the hell is going on."

And as it turned out, there was a lot going on. The five of them had gathered in a conference room of sorts, Finnick leaned against a wall, Kailani and Cashmere sat at one end of the table, while Plutarch sat at the other, Haymitch hovering behind him. There were uprisings going on everywhere, in every district. She had said it from the start, forcing the victors into the Games again was taking it too far. These were their heroes, the people who had come back home, who had fought and survived, and now that they had escaped, everyone else was going to fight too.

"Communications are down in Seven, Ten and Twelve," said Heavensbee. "But Eleven has control of transportation now, so there's at least a hope of them getting some food out."

"We need to go home," said Cashmere. They'd explained it all to her now, every detail. "We need to help lead our people, they can't do it themselves."

"No, I'm sorry. There's no way I can get you anywhere near One or Four, for that matter."

It pained her to even think about her name after everything that had happened, but someone had to do it. She was an idiot, a fool, someone she'd quite like to slap but she wouldn't be able to do that if she was dead. "What about Annie?" Finnick's head snapped to her so fast, she was almost worried he had hurt himself. Kailani didn't meet his questioning gaze though. "Someone needs to get her out of there, _despite_ what happened-" She scowled. "They'll still want to use her."

"I've already given special orders for her to be retrieved, that's all I can do."

Kailani shook her head. "That's not enough. She won't survive a day, they'll kill her-"

"They'll keep her alive as long as you two are still alive," said Haymitch. "You're right, they'll still want to use her. They know what's going on now but they also know that you still volunteered for her. As long as you keep yourselves from getting killed, they'll use her as bait," said Haymitch. Suddenly, Katniss burst through the doors. Her hair was strewn everywhere, her eyes narrowed, dangerously. Haymitch wasn't all that concerned by it. "Done knocking yourself out, sweetheart?" he asked, the annoyance clear in his voice. Katniss careened forwards and he caught her wrists, smoothly, steadying her. They were all very aware that there was a syringe in her hand. He stared at her, incredulously. "So it's you and a syringe against the Capitol? See, this is why no one lets you make the plans." Katniss stared at him, uncomprehendingly. "Drop it." She does, and Haymitch guides her to a chair, settling her down in it.

Heavensbee placed a bowl of both in front of her, a roll and slipped a spoon into her hand. "Eat," he said, kindly.

She doesn't. Then again, none of them had. They all had food, and none of it had been touched. Haymitch launched into yet another explanation, and Kailani tuned out. She stared out the window, almost numbly. It was all the same stuff, how there had been a plan to break them all out of the arena from the moment the Quell had been announced, how the victors from 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 11 had all been aware of it in some degree. It was Heavensbee that had been responsible for ensuring the wire was included in the weapons, and Beetee had the job of destroying the force field. He explained how the bread was a code for the time of the rescue. The district where the bread originated indicated the day, and the number of rolls the hour and then he paused, stopped to see if Katniss was following.

"You didn't tell me," said Katniss, raggedly.

"Neither you nor Peeta were told. We couldn't risk it," said Heavensbee, "I was even worried you might mention my discretion with the watch during the Games." He pulled out his pocket watch and ran a thumb across the crystal, lighting up the mockingjay. "Of course, when I showed you this, I was merely tipping you off about the arena. As a mentor. I thought it might be a first step towards gaining your trust. I never dreamed you'd be a tribute again."

She shook her head. "I still don't understand why Peeta and I weren't let in on the plan."

"Because once the force field blew, you'd be the first ones they'd try to capture, and the less you knew, the better," said Haymitch.

"The first ones? Why?"

"For the reason the rest of us agreed to die to keep you alive," said Finnick.

"No, Johanna tried to kill me," argued Katniss.

Kailani unwillingly turned back to the conversation at hand. "Johanna knocked you out to the cut the tracker from your arm," she said, "We lead Brutus and Enobaria away from you."

"What? I don't know what you're-"

"We had to save you because you're the mockingjay, Katniss," said Heavensbee, "While you live, the revolution lives."

And it was as simple as that, it had always been as simple as that. The understanding began to filter across her face. Everything they had done for her, all that had happened. "Peeta," she whispered.

"The others kept Peeta alive because if he died, we knew there'd be no keeping you in an alliance," said Haymitch, "And we couldn't risk leaving you unprotected." His words were matter of fact, his expression unchanged, but not even he could hide the tinge of grey that coloured his face.

"Where is Peeta?" she hissed, angrily.

"He was picked up by the Capitol, along with Gloss, Johanna and Enobaria," he said. His gaze dropped to the ground. No one was surprised when Katniss lunged at him once more, she was unarmed but that didn't make her any less dangerous, especially with Peeta having been taken. She clawed viciously at his face, drawing blood and Kailani watched with a cool sense of amusement, as they began to yell at each other. Yell and curse and scream. Finnick rushed forward to pull her away, and Cashmere rolled her eyes, turning her head to the ceiling as if it was the most important thing in the world. It seemed she too wasn't in a particularly helpful mood, she had her Capitol face on, the polite and distant one that Kailani knew well. They'd both lost people, it was the easiest way to deal with all of this. Finnick managed to drag Katniss away, and she just caught a glimpse of the girl being sedated again. She wished she had had that option, sleeping through it dreamlessly would have been like heaven, but she didn't, not unless she caused a scene again and Kailani just didn't have the energy for that. She wished more than anything that this would be done with, that this would all be over, but it was just the beginning. They headed towards District 13, the one district independent from the Capitol, the one place they could hide, and there would be no leaving it until the rebellion had been won. It was either that, or they were all killed process.

This was it, this was their last chance for a better society, for a better way of life. She could find it within herself to help with that, to make sure no more children had to go into the Hunger Games, that no more parents had to watch as they were killed on live television, that they weren't all living this ridiculous façade controlled by the Capitol. Thoughts of her mother drifted into her head again, and she pushed them away. It still wasn't the time, she would deal with that when she was alone, when she was sure she wouldn't have to deal with anyone else. Kailani focussed on one thing, and one thing only and that was the rebellion.

It was all she could do to keep herself distracted.


	13. Chapter 13

**PART II**

**CHAPTER 1:**

A month. That was how long it had been since they'd escaped the arena, since a war had broken out, since District Twelve had been bombed and destroyed. It had been a month of living underground, of just trying to last another day. Any above ground structure in the district had long since been destroyed by the Capitol. They'd thought the place had been obliterated during the Dark Days, during the last rebellion between the Capitol and the districts, but turned out they had survived all along. It was all a part of a deal that had been struck, Thirteen wouldn't destroy the Capitol with their supply of nuclear weapons, and they would be left alone. They had had no choice but to accept the deal, and all access to the outside was cut off. Perhaps the Capitol leaders had thought that Thirteen would die off on its own, and they almost did a few times, but the people here were resilient, they held on. The citizens lived almost exclusively underground now, you could go outside for exercise and sunlight but only at very specific times. Kailani hated it, then again, she hated most things these days. She threw herself into the rebellion, into the training, into all of that. It was all she could do to keep herself going, she'd be as bad as Finnick if she stopped, if she let her emotions consume her. They hadn't talked once since their first night in the underground facility. She doubted it was intentional, keeping them together, but the remaining victors all had rooms on the same level. Finnick had made the mistake of trying to speak to her again, she supposed it was habit. All it had led to though was a fight, one that she was sure the entire level had heard. She couldn't accept his apology though, she couldn't let him comfort her because every time she closed her eyes, all she saw was his trident coming towards her in slow motion, aimed directly to kill. It was too familiar, too much like when her partner had tried to kill her in her own games. He yelled, she yelled, it ended when the guards separated them. Finnick hadn't been the same since then, not that she paid him too much attention. She ignored him as best she could but sometimes, he would be there and she couldn't help taking in his condition, especially when Cashmere was at her ear giving her updates she didn't want. They said, he was depressed. He had no energy, no drive, he was constantly down and could barely stay awake. The medics labelled him unfit for duty, he didn't attend training, nor any other kind of war related meetings unless they specifically wanted the opinions of the victors and even then, he was about as helpful as Katniss. Their mockingjay, the symbol of the rebellion, she may as well have been catatonic. She ignored the schedules they were expected to imprint on their arms, she barely obeyed the rules, all she did was hide away from the responsibilities that had been pushed upon her. She had lost too much to have that kind of drive, to have that fire that was supposed to lead them to victory. Her home had been destroyed and Peeta had been taken by the Capitol. There had been no word on him, or any one of the other hostages. There had been nothing, they could have been dead, or more likely they were being tortured for information and that weighed heavily on all of them. Kailani tried not to think about it too often though, it haunted her enough at night. She couldn't sleep without help anymore, it was impossible, it was too hard with the nightmares. They prescribed her pills whenever she needed them, as long as she functioned when she was supposed too then that was enough for them, they couldn't lose anymore victors. Kailani and Cashmere had put in the most effort to this rebellion, they were the face throughout the districts while Katniss recovered. They went out often on missions, to help hold territory gained, to help fight off the Capitol and their Peacekeepers. They did their duty, and stepped up. It was no different from what they usually did, really. Since they had won the Games, there had always been things expected of them, they always had to put on some kind of mask and they did that now. It was easier being out in the field than holed up in Thirteen somewhere, left only with their thoughts. Beetee too had his own role to play, as soon as he had recovered enough from his injuries they had put him straight into weapons development. They were rather impatient in that regard actually, they rolled his hospital bed straight down to Special Defence once they deemed him well enough. Kailani could see what was happening, it was no better in Thirteen than the Capitol, as usual they used the victors to do their own bidding. After all, why not? They were the most talented, they were the ones that had won, that had survived, that the people adored. Coin saw that, of course she did, their almighty leader. Neither she nor Cashmere were all the fond of the woman, but she lead the rebellion, they had no choice but to listen, to obey orders, right down to the clothes they wore. That was the thing about Thirteen, it was all very strict and uniform, it had to be for them to survive. They all wore the same dull, grey clothes, your every move from eating to bathing, was scheduled and wasting _anything_, was practically a capital offence. She had to admit though, Kailani didn't always adhere to the schedule. The training and meetings she did, but sometimes, some of the other stuff, when she was feeling particularly moody, she would skip out on. She wasn't perfect, and she wasn't a member of District Thirteen. She was from Four, from the beaches, and the sun, as far as she was concerned she was allowed a little down time when she needed it. This however, was not one of those times. Nothing gave her more of a headache than having to listen to Coin for hours at a time, what she wouldn't give to be by the sea just for a few moments, to breathe in the salt air, to feel the water at her feet.

"Soldier Allyn," snapped Coin, harshly.

Kailani reluctantly pulled her mind back to reality, away from distant daydreams and raised her eyes to face their leader. "Yes?"

"I'd appreciate it if we had your full attention during this time." Her voice was cool, and held a certain edge to it. But Kailani wasn't bothered, this woman didn't intimidate her.

She smiled, calmly. "My apologies."

It wasn't like the information she gave was anything new, just the usual updates. The districts continued to fight for control over the Capitol, and Thirteen continued to lend their assistance where they could. It was strange though, there had been very little new information in the past few days, it was as if the fighting had paused, as if both sides were taking a breather. Something was bound to happen soon though, it always did. It was the calm before the storm and everyone seemed to be very much aware of that fact. Coin released them all to their next scheduled tasks and with Cashmere, Kailani wandered down to Special Defence. Beetee had been creating new weapons for them both, and finally, it was time to test them.

"I can't believe they let Katniss go to Twelve," said Cashmere, incredulously. She scanned the sensor, and the elevator took them further beneath the ground.

It _had_ been a surprise, that was the one thing that had caught Kailani's attention throughout the meeting but indeed, they had let Katniss return to the burnt remnants of her home. She'd wanted to see it ever since they had arrived, it was the one thing she actually _wanted _to do but up until now, they'd refused. It was too dangerous, it cost too much money and it was a waste of resources. "Well, she asked for it every time they spoke to her. It was about time they gave in," said Kailani, with a shrug, "What I don't believe is that they didn't tell us until today, she's there now you'd think they would want us there keeping an eye on her. Better us than some idiots she doesn't even know." She never held that much faith in the soldiers of Thirteen. They were trained well, could fight, but they were all so serious, there was no personality to them. Not that she was up for socialising but still, it was enough to do her head in at times. She expected the feeling was mutual though, she felt the looks burn into her as she trained, as she walked into Command, it was never ending.

"To be fair, she barely knows us and I assume that friend of hers went with her, the good looking one."

"Gale Hawthorne," she supplied.

Cashmere nodded, "Yes, him. How is it she always gets the men? What does she do, scowl at them and they all turn into mushy puddles?"

Kailani smirked slightly. It wouldn't have surprised her if that was an accurate description of what happened, she certainly didn't take her to be the flirting type. "Now, now Cash. You sound jealous."

She scoffed. "Please, as if I could be jealous of _her_, she's not all that special."

"No, she's only the Mockingjay, the leader of this rebellion, the person they'll all turn too."

"Until then it'll just be down to us," sneered Cashmere.

Kailani couldn't argue with that. While Katniss wallowed in her misery, they worked tirelessly for the cause. They broke down too, they just did it at more appropriate times of the day. Yet, she would get all the credit once she decided to step up, and she would step up, she would take her rightful place, it was inevitable. Everyone else doubted it, but Kailani didn't. All it would take was one thing, one thing to set her off, one spark to set everything alight with flames.

Beetee handed them each their preferred weapons, Kailani a lethal looking spear and Cashmere an entire row of knives. It was amazing the kind of modifications that he had started adding to them, though, they were still a work in progress. With every slash made, and every target hit, Beetee took down a series of notes. He had yet to perfect them, this was all just a trial. They were there for the rest of the day before the pair reluctantly gave back what wasn't perfected yet, and headed up for dinner. Normally, Kailani preferred not to attend, it was easier to avoid the food that way. She didn't eat all that much these days, just what she needed to survive, the absolute bare minimum. Cashmere had given up scolding her on it, she knew it would make no difference. However, she was saved the effort when simultaneously, their communicuffs went off. They were wanted in Command yet again. Kailani groaned, loudly. As if they hadn't been there for long enough today as it was.

"Seriously?" she grumbled.

"Something must have happened," said Cashmere, "This wasn't scheduled."

It quickly became clear why they were called though, the moment they stepped into the high-tech room. The Capitol broadcast channel was constantly monitored, usually it just had the occasional update, some propaganda, an ominous message from Snow to the rebels but this time, it held something different. Caesar Flickerman, the perpetual host of the Hunger Games was being broadcast on the screen, and Kailani's stomach sunk. This was different, and to have them all called here, did not bode well. Everyone, had gathered around, and Kailani and Cashmere had to shove their way to the front to get a good view. Katniss was there too, Gale next to her. She looked as if she'd rather be anywhere else, but her reason, their reason for being there all became crystal clear as the camera pulled back, and they saw who Caesar was to be interviewing that evening, who his guest would be. It was Peeta.

An odd noise escaped Katniss, something between a gasp and a groan. Her eyes were wide, fixed only on him as she ignored everyone else and approached the screen, placed a hand to the flickering monitor. He looked… fine. They had all been worried about their friends, about their family that had been taken, about what was being done to them but Peeta, he looked perfectly fine, if not better. He appeared healthy, his skin was flawless and glowed in that full-body-polish kind of way. There was no sign of injury or hurt, he didn't look as if he had been tortured at all, he didn't even look like he'd missed an hour of sleep. His manner was composed and serious as Caesar settled himself more comfortably in his chair and gave him a long look. "So… Peeta… welcome back," he said.

Peeta smiled slightly, "I bet you thought you'd done your last interview with me, Caesar."

"I confess, I did," said Caesar, "The night before the Quarter Quell… well, who ever thought we'd see you again?"

"It wasn't part of my plan, that's for sure," said Peeta, with a frown.

It hadn't been a part of anyone's plans, he was supposed to be in Thirteen, keeping Katniss grounded. They should have put more of a focus on him, Kailani realised that now.

Caesar leaned in to him a little. "I think it was clear to all of us what your plan was. To sacrifice yourself in the arena so that Katniss Everdeen and your child could survive."

"That was it. Clear and simple." Peeta's fingers traced the upholstered pattern on the arm of the chair. "But other people had plans as well."

Kailani and Cashmere kept their faces carefully neutral, glancing at each other only once. That was them. Well, it was more her than anyone else. Cashmere and Gloss had had no idea of the plan, they too had been left out. Kailani was glad she'd let them in on it though, at least vaguely. They would be dead otherwise, and there were already enough people on that list. Katniss didn't look back to face them though, her attention remained solely on Peeta. She wondered if they'd told them all of what had happened, what had transpired. If Snow had kept quiet on it, she was sure that he had managed to figure out parts of what had happened. It was obvious, really. _Make sure Katniss got out of that arena safe_.

"Why don't you tell us about that last night in the arena?" suggested Caesar, "Help us sort a few things out."

Peeta nodded, and took a deep breath. "That last night… to tell you about that last night… well, first of all, you have to imagine how it felt in the arena. It was like being an insect trapped under a bowl filled with steaming air. And all around you, jungle… green and alive and ticking. That giant clock ticking away your life. Every hour promising some new horror. You have to imagine that in the past two days, fourteen people have died- some of them defending you. At the rate things are going, the last ten will be dead by morning. Save one. The victor. And your plan is that it won't be you."

At least, in these Games it was. They entered with friends and family, these were all people they'd known for a long time. If she had to have chosen, if they hadn't of been broken out, Kailani knew full well who she would have made sure got out of there, and it definitely wouldn't have been herself.

"Once you're in the arena, the rest of the world becomes very distant," continued Peeta, "All the people and things you loved or cared about almost cease to exist. The pink sky and the monsters in the jungle and the tributes who want your blood become your final reality, the only one that ever mattered. As bad as it makes you feel, you're going to have to do some killing, because in the arena, you only get one wish. And it's very costly."

"It costs your life," said Caesar.

"Oh no. It costs more than your life. To murder innocent people?" said Peeta, "It costs everything you are."

"_Everything you are,_" repeated Caesar, quietly.

A hush had fallen over the room, probably over the entire country. No one had spoken about the Games like this before, described what it was like so accurately. Victors had always played up to their celebrity status, done what they had had to do to keep themselves and all those they loved alive. They tried not to let everyone else see how much killing the other children, had killed them too.

Peeta wasn't finished either. "So you hold on to your wish," he said, "And that last night, yes, my wish was to save Katniss. But even without knowing about the rebels, it didn't feel right. Everything was too complicated. I found myself regretting I hadn't run off with her earlier in the day, as she had suggested. But there was no getting out of it at that point."

"You were too caught up in Beetee's plan to electrify the salt lake," said Caesar.

"Too busy playing allies with the others. I should have never let them separate us!" Peeta burst out. "That's when I lost her."

"When you stayed at the lightning tree, and she, Johanna Mason and Kailani Allyn took the coil of wire down to the water," Caesar clarified.

"I didn't want to!" Peeta flushed in agitation. "But I couldn't argue with Beetee without indicating we were about to break away from the alliance. When that wire was cut, everything just went insane. I can only remember bits and pieces. Trying to find her. I know she was calling my name. Then the lightning bolt hit the tree, and the force field around the arena… blew out."

"Katniss blew it out, Peeta. You've seen the footage."

"She didn't know what she was doing. None of us could follow Beetee's plan. You can see her trying to figure out what to with that wire," Peeta snapped back. Even now, even in the Capitol he was still protecting her, still protecting Katniss.

Caesar was not one to let go though, he was there to make a point, he had been given his orders. "All right. It just looks suspicious, as if she was part of the rebels' plan all along."

Suddenly, Peeta was on his feet and leaning in close to Caesar, his hands locked onto the arms of the interviewer's chair. "Really? And was it part of her plan for Johanna to nearly kill her? For Kailani to leave her there and bleed out? For that electric shock to paralyse her? To trigger the bombing?" He yelled now, his voice bellowing through the monitor. "She didn't know, Caesar! Neither of us knew anything except that we were trying to keep each other alive!"

Caesar placed his hand on Peeta's chest, in a gesture that was both self-protective and conciliatory. "Okay, Peeta, I believe you."

"Okay." Peeta drew back from Caesar, pulling back his hands. He ran them through his hair and mussed his carefully styled blonde hair. He slumped back in his chair, distraught.

Caesar waited a moment, his eyes studying Peeta. "What about your mentor, Haymitch Abernathy?"

His face hardened, immediately. "I don't know what Haymitch knew."

"Could he have been part of the conspiracy?"

"He never mentioned it."

Caesar pressed on. "What does your heart tell you?"

"That I shouldn't have trusted him," said Peeta, "That's all."

Kailani wondered if Haymitch was seeing any of this. Coin had him in seclusion, there was no alcohol to consume in Thirteen and that had left him in a bad way. They considered him unfit for public display and until he dried up, he would have nothing to do with the war effort. Katniss hadn't gone to visit him once, she was still angry with him for keeping it all a secret from them, for letting Peeta get taken. Kailani, not so much. Her mother being taken wasn't his fault, she should never have been in the Capitol to begin with, someone should have stopped her. _She_ should have stopped her.

"We can stop now if you want," said Caesar, softly.

"Was there more to discuss?" asked Peeta, wryly.

"I was going to ask your thoughts on the war, but if you're too upset…"

"Oh, I'm not too upset to answer that." His eyes turned directly to the camera, as if staring at all of Panem. "I want everyone watching- whether you're on the Capitol or the rebel side- to stop for just a moment and think about what this war could mean. For human beings. We almost went extinct fighting one another before. Now our numbers are even fewer, our conditions more tenuous. Is this really what we want to do? Kill ourselves off completely? In the hopes that- what? Some decent species will inherit the smoking remains of the earth?"

"I don't really… I'm not sure I'm following…"

"We can't fight one another, Caesar," explained Peeta, "There won't be enough of us left to keep going. If everybody doesn't lay down their weapons- and I mean, as in _very soon_\- it's all over, anyway."

"So… you're calling for a ceasefire?"

"Yes, I'm calling for a ceasefire." His voice was tired, and he sighed. "Now why don't we ask the guards to take me back to my quarters so I can build another hundred card houses?"

Caesar wrapped up the rest of the broadcast, and the usual programming resumed. The rebels, the people of District Thirteen, they were already calling Peeta _a liar, a traitor_. Kailani scowled, as if they would be any different in his situation. They hadn't been in the Hunger Games once, let alone twice, they hadn't been forced to deal with Snow personally. Victors knew, even the unexperienced ones knew, that to keep the ones they loved safe, they had to do as they were told. It was suffocating, it took everything out of you but sometimes, it just had to be done. Too much was risked, if you refused.

"You have not been dismissed, Soldier Everdeen," called Coin, her voice louder than the others. But as if that would ever stop her. Katniss didn't want to listen to this, she was already at the door and not about to stop. Boggs grabbed her arm before she could leave but Gale stepped between them, and for his troubles received an elbow to the nose.

"Enough!" yelled Cashmere, annoyed. "Just let them go, there's no point making Katniss stay."

"She's long gone anyway," said Kailani, offhandedly. Gale slipped out of the door, undoubtedly to follow Katniss, and Coin shot them both a look of displeasure.

"They have to learn to listen to orders," she said.

Kailani shook her head, "I guarantee you making her stay and listen to this lot accuse Peeta of being a traitor, won't help anyway."

"He's severely damaged the cause, we're having enough trouble getting everyone on board as it is."

"We're aware of that," said Cashmere, sharply, "But he is hardly in a position to refuse what is asked of him."

Nonetheless, Coin just shook her head and turned back to the others. She never _really_ listened to what they had to say, not unless they had useful information on the districts, on the people fighting there. She didn't appreciate the wealth of knowledge they had, whether it be strategic or personal, she just didn't care. They were listened too only when it was convenient for them, if they were to come out now defending Peeta in front of everyone, defending all of the victors that Snow had taken hostage, these people would probably laugh straight at them. They were just the pretty faces that the other districts flocked too. If it were just down to Coin, this rebellion would be going completely differently. No one would follow her, they had no reason too, they didn't know who she was and they didn't trust her. But _everyone_, knew who Kailani and Cashmere were. They had seen them on their televisions for years, their pictures plastered across newspapers and magazines. They had visited the districts on their victory tours, they knew of the trials that they had faced, more than ever since the most recent Games, and they knew of their triumphs. They were loved and adored, and without them, they would not have made nearly as much gains in territory as they had, would not have had nearly as much support. Apparently though, that counted for nothing. Cashmere scowled, and stalked out of Command. She didn't bother waiting to be _dismissed_. They fought too, they didn't just stand there and look pretty. They were sent into the districts, and they put their lives on the line. They spilt Peacekeeper blood, and lead _their_ people into victory. Kailani shook her head, but she supposed they would never amount to be anything more than tools. Without a word, she too wandered from the room. No one even noticed that they had gone, they were too busy working on strategies to "fix the mess that the boy had made for them".

* * *

The idea of a ceasefire, that was something that had caught his attention. Finnick didn't usually pay any mind to the propaganda the Capitol released on a daily basis, it held no interest to him but that interview, it had been different. He couldn't help but pause by one of the television screens as he saw Peeta up there, talking to Caesar as if he wasn't a hostage, as if it was all just a part of the Hunger Games again. Some of the people around him began to mutter and accuse Peeta of betraying them, and that kind of talk only gained ground throughout the rebels. To them, he was helping the Capitol to regain support, hurting them in the process. He didn't hear much of what was going on with the war but he knew some of the districts must have been uncertain on their decisions. After all, if they had all been for it maybe they could have just taken a vow of non-violence during the Games, maybe they could have laid down their weapons in protest rather than try and kill each other. A part of him wanted to help with the rebellion, that was what Kailani was doing, what Cashmere was doing, but he just didn't have the energy. He couldn't do it, not if Kailani were there ignoring him, pretending as if he didn't exist. It hurt, having her avoid him as she did. Everything felt like it didn't matter, like it wasn't important. Everything felt empty without her there to brighten his day, to see the positive, to encourage him as only she could. The only thing he wanted or cared about, was having her forgive him. Yes, despite everything that she had done, he worried for Annie. He hated to think that they were torturing her on his account, that they would kill her because he had gone against the Capitol. He thought about her every day, but without Kailani by his side, it was as if a part of him was missing. He had broken her, he was no better than that bastard excuse for a partner that she had had during her Games and he understood her anger, he did. That didn't make it any easier though. She had _never_ been this angry at him before, had never acted so cold and distant towards him, to anyone actually. It wasn't who she was, at least, it hadn't been. He sighed, his shoulders slumping. Finnick was tired, he was tired of all of this. He just wanted things to be as they were again, he missed his best friend. He thought that maybe she could have been forced to talk to them if he helped more with the rebellion, but he didn't have the energy for that kind of thing. All he wanted to do was sleep the days away, it was all he ever wanted to do. Finnick still held the hope that one day, he would wake up and all of this, would turn out to be a nightmare. It hadn't happened yet though.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 2:**

She would do it, she would become the Mockingjay. Katniss had been lost the past month, lost in a world of despair and confusion, she didn't know what she was supposed to do but she did now, Peeta had helped her to see. She would do what they had been waiting for, what they had been expecting her to do, she would become the Mockingjay. There couldn't be a ceasefire, they couldn't keep playing these games, watching children and innocent people die. No, there had to be a change and the rebellion needed her to do it. But it would come at a price. She couldn't let them condemn Peeta, if they got him back she didn't want to see him killed by their own. No, if they wanted her help they would have to agree to her terms. Coin and her people gathered in Command, their faces serious as she and Gale walked in. There were a few raised eyebrows at Gale's presence but no one said anything, they were too shocked to see her actually showing an interest in the cause for once. The list of everything she had wanted was planned out in her head, but since the blow Johanna had given her during the escape, she'd been having trouble remembering some things, collecting her thoughts.

"Could someone hand me a pen and some paper?" she asked.

She found it easier, if the words were there for her to see. Coin handed her the supplies, and Katniss sat at the table scribbling out her demands. No one spoke, no one dared interrupt her. Perhaps they were worried that if they said something, she would just leave again but not this time. She eyed the words on her list, trying to think of anything else that she thought she should add. _Buttercup._ She couldn't keep hiding Prim's cat, they were bound to find out sometime and when they did, they would kill him. Pets weren't allowed in Thirteen, they were a waste of resources. He had to be a part of her conditions whether she liked the thing or not. _Hunting._ This base was suffocating, if she could get out and regain some sense of normality, it would do her a world of good. _Peeta's immunity._ That was a given, she would not have him killed. _Announced in public._ She needed witnesses, she needed the people to see what she had promised to ensure that Coin didn't back out at the first available chance. The only people she had in this room that she knew absolutely, would be on her side was Gale, Cashmere and Kailani. The latter two may have been considered rebel leaders but Katniss knew that they would agree with her terms. That reminded her, she scribbled something else down on the list. _Gale. _She would need him with her to be able to do any of this. She frowned, she could feel a headache coming on. It didn't feel right, she felt like there was something missing. The list felt too small. Katniss closed her eyes, and she recited the simple things, the things that she knew in her head. It was a technique the medics had shown her to reorganise her thoughts since the concussion. That was when it came to her, her hand moved across the page, and in wobbly letters, scrawled across the paper, three words: _'I KILL SNOW'_. If he was captured, she wanted the privilege of ending his life.

Plutarch gave a discreet cough, regaining her attention. "About done there?" he asked. Katniss glanced up at the clock, she had been sitting there for twenty minutes.

"Yeah," she said. "Yeah, so this is the deal. I'll be your Mockingjay." Katniss paused, waiting as those present made sounds of relief, congratulated and slapped one another on the back. Kailani and Cashmere didn't move, they just eyed her carefully, both trying to read her. They were confused, that much was understandable. Perhaps they had expected a change after the interview yesterday, but not this fast of one. Suddenly, she realised that it might have been a good idea to consult the pair before coming into this meeting. If there was anything missing from her list, they would know about it. It was too late for that now though. Coin, remained as impassive as ever, watching her, unimpressed. "But I have some conditions," she continued, smoothing out her list. "My family gets to keep our cat." It was the smallest of her requests, and yet even that had set off an argument. The Capitol rebels saw it as a non-issue, as did the district representatives. Of course they did, it was only Cashmere and Kailani. They saw the bigger picture, what did the cat matter in the scheme of things? Those from Thirteen however, disagreed. They took it upon themselves to spell out the difficulties that such a request presented. Finally though, it was all worked out. She and her family would be moved to the top level, which had the luxury of a twenty centimetre window above ground. Buttercup could come and go to do his business. He would be expected to feed himself, if he missed curfew, he would be locked out. If he caused any security problems, he would be shot immediately. Katniss nodded, acceptingly and moved on to her next request. "I want to hunt, with Gale, out in the woods." That gave everyone pause. She could see their minds working as they exchanged looks with one another.

"We won't go far. We'll use our own bows. You can have the meat for the kitchen," added Gale.

"I think it's a good idea," said Cashmere, leaning back in her chair. Some of the rebels glanced at her disapprovingly, but she ignored them. "The mockingjay has to be able to fight, she can hone her skills out there. She'll need too after she's been cooped up for the past month."

"Exactly," said Katniss, quickly, "It's just… I can't breathe shut up here and- and I _would_ get better, faster if… I could hunt."

Plutarch shook his head though, explaining the drawbacks- the dangers, the extra security, the risk of injury, but Coin cut him off. "No, let them," she said. "Give them two hours a day, deducted from their training time. A quarter-mile radius. With communication units and tracker anklets. What's next?"

She skimmed her list. "Gale. I'll need him with me to do this."

"With you how? Off camera? By your side at all times? Do you want him presented as your new lover?" asked Coin.

Katniss' jaw dropped open in shock. "What?"

"I think we should continue the current romance. A quick defection from Peeta could cause the audience to lose sympathy for her," said Plutarch, "Especially since they think she's pregnant with his child."

"Agreed. So, on-screen, Gale can simply be portrayed as a fellow rebel. Is that all right?" Coin questioned. Katniss just stared at her, and she repeated herself, impatiently. "For Gale. Will that be sufficient?"

"We can always work him in as your cousin," said Fulvia.

"We're not cousins," said Katniss and Gale together.

"Right, but we should probably keep that up for appearances' sake on camera," said Plutarch. "Off camera, he's all yours. Anything else?"

She couldn't believe it, couldn't believe that they thought she would so readily dispose of Peeta, that she was in love with Gale and that it had all been an act. Her cheeks burned, both from embarrassment and anger. "When the war is over, if we've won, Peeta will be pardoned," said Katniss, firmly. Silence filled the room, and she could feel Gale tense beside her. "No form of punishment will be inflicted-" Her eyes flickered to Cashmere and Kailani, and a new thought occurred to her. "And the same goes for the other captured tributes, Johanna, Gloss and Enobaria." Frankly, she didn't care for Enobaria, but it seemed wrong to leave her out.

"Annie too," added Kailani. Her voice was deceptively calm but when Katniss glanced over at her, her muscles were tense and her eyes were ice cold. She definitely wasn't one to argue with her.

"Annie too," she said, in agreement, "And Kailani's mother as well, Mags."

If possible, Kailani stiffened even further. It was just in case though, Coin would have no hesitations on swooping on her mistake if she left out Mags. Kailani may have been determined to think her mother was dead, or perhaps was hoping, but if it had turned out that she had survived, Katniss didn't want anything to happen to her here. She had a feeling that Kailani would wage a war with Coin if she dared threaten her mother, and the other victors, there was no doubt they would side with her. It didn't surprise her though, when Coin fixed her with a look at her requests.

"No," she said, flatly.

"Yes," Katniss shot back. "It's not their fault you abandoned them in the arena. Who knows what the Capitol's doing to them?"

"They'll be tried with other war criminals and treated as the tribunal sees fit."

"War criminals?" said Cashmere, incredulously. "They are as much war criminals as _we_ are! They have done nothing, nothing but help Katniss escape the arena, bring _you_, your mockingjay."

"They could be feeding Snow information as we speak."

"Please, they would all rather die than give _him_ anything of use."

Coin shot Cashmere a dark look, "The hostage tributes will be tried with other war criminals," she repeated.

Katniss pushed herself to her feet, furiously. "They'll be granted immunity!" she said, her voice full and resonant. "You will personally pledge this in front of the entire population of District Thirteen and the remainder of Twelve. Soon. Today. It will be recorded for future generations. You will hold yourself and your government responsible for their safety, or you will find yourself another Mockingjay!"

"That's her!" Fulvia hissed to Plutarch. "Right there. With the costume, gunfire in the background, just a hint of smoke."

"Yes, that's what we want," said Plutarch, under his breath. Katniss wanted nothing more than to glare at them, but she couldn't afford to turn her attention away from Coin. She could see the woman tallying the cost of her ultimatum, weighting it against her worth. Plutarch decided to step in, "What do you say, President?" he asked, "You could issue an official pardon, given the circumstances. The boy… he's not even of age, and you will not gain support from the other districts of you criminalise their victors."

"All right," said Coin, finally. "But you'd better perform."

"I'll perform when you've made the announcement."

"Call a national security assembly during Reflection today," she ordered. "I'll make the announcement then. Is there anything left on your list, Katniss?"

Her paper was crumpled tightly in her fist, but she didn't need it to know what else had been written. "Just one more thing. I kill Snow."

For the first time ever, she saw the hint of a smile on the president's lips. "When the time comes, I'll flip you for it."

"Fair enough." She would take that, after all she certainly wasn't the only one who wanted to see Snow dead.

Coin's eyes flickered to the watch on her arm. She too, had a schedule to adhere too. "I'll leave her in your hands, then, Plutarch." She exited the room, followed by her team and the rest of her people. All that stayed behind was Plutarch, Fulvia, Cashmere, Kailani, Gale and herself.

"Thank you, Katniss," said Cashmere, her voice more sincere than she had ever heard it. "For my brother, for all of them."

"It's fine, really-"

"No, you didn't have to bring them in to your list of demands but you did it anyway. We have no sway with Coin, but you do. So, _thank you_." Kailani managed a small smile, as fleeting as it was.

"Excellent, excellent," said Plutarch, as he sunk down into a chair, his elbows on the table, hands rubbing at his eyes. "You know what I miss? More than anything? Coffee. I ask you, would it be so unthinkable to have something to wash down the gruel and turnips?"

"We didn't think it would be quite so rigid here," explained Fulvia, as she massaged Plutarch's shoulders. "Not in the higher ranks."

"Or at least there'd be the option of a little side action. I mean, even Twelve had a black market, right?"

"Yeah, the Hob," said Gale. "It's where we traded."

"There, you see? And look how moral you two are! Virtually incorruptible." Plutarch sighed. "Oh, well, wars don't last forever. So, glad to have you on the team." He reached a hand out to the side, where Fulvia was already extending a large sketchbook bound in black leather. "You know in general what we're asking of you, Katniss. I'm aware you have mixed feelings about participating. I hope this will help." Plutarch slid the sketchbook across to her, silently. Katniss stared at it suspiciously, but then curiosity got the better of her and she opened the cover, only to find a picture of herself, standing straight and strong, in a black uniform. The swoop of the helmet, the curve to the breastplate, the slight fullness of the sleeves that allowed the white folds under the arms to show, it was all so familiar, all so very _him_.

"Cinna," she whispered.

"Yes. He made me promise not to show you this book until you'd decided to be the Mockingjay on you own. Believe me, I was very tempted," said Plutarch. "Go on. Flip through."

Katniss turned the pages, slowly, taking in the details of the uniform. The carefully tailored layers of body armour, the hidden weapons that were in the boots and belt, the special reinforcements over her heart. And on the final page, under a sketch of her mockingjay pin, Cinna had written something: _'I'm still betting on you'_.

"When did he…" Her voice broke.

"Let's see," said Plutarch, thoughtfully, "Well, after the Quarter Quell announcement. A few weeks before the Games maybe? These are not only the sketches. We have your uniforms as well. Oh, and Beetee's got something really special waiting for you down in the armoury. I won't spoil it by hinting."

"You're going to be the best-dressed rebel in history," said Gale.

"Our plan is to launch an Airtime Assault. To make a series of what we call propos- which is short for 'propaganda spots'- featuring you, and featuring Cashmere and Kailani as well, and broadcast them to the entire population of Panem. You are the face of the rebellion, if the people see you, see that you are representing them we think it will help garner more support. There are a few problem districts though, and that is where Cashmere and Kailani come in to target those areas. As I'm sure you aware they would already be familiar with the pair of them, and they have already been quite active out in the districts as it was."

"How though? The Capitol has sole control of the broadcasts," said Gale.

"Yes, but we have Beetee," said Kailani, simply. "Ten years ago, he essentially redesigned the underground network that transmits all the programming. He thinks there's a reasonable chance it can be done."

"Of course, we'll need something to air," said Plutarch.

"And that," said Cashmere, getting to her feet, "Is where we leave you. We have other things to attend to today, I'm afraid." Kailani gave a nod of her head, and swept from the room. Cashmere smirked, her eyes glinting in amusement. "Have fun."

Katniss resisted the urge to sigh, that certainly didn't bode well for her, not in the slightest. Perhaps she just didn't enjoy spending time with Plutarch, or perhaps she knew how hard this would be for her. Cashmere had undoubtedly seen her interviews, seen her throughout her victory tour. Being in front of a camera, having to act as she did, it wasn't something she was all that good at. Peeta would have been much better for this job than her. She had no choice though, she had made the deal, and the consequences if she didn't, became abundantly clear to Katniss when Coin announced her terms to the people of Thirteen. They hadn't liked it, many threw her hostile looks as they were informed of the deal. They had probably taken her being the Mockingjay for granted, assumed that she would do it without question. But that wasn't what had caught her attention, that wasn't what had made her situation so clear. It was what Coin had finished on, her last words to the crowd.

"But in return for this unprecedented request, Soldier Everdeen had promised to devote herself to our cause. It follows that any deviance from her mission, in either motive or deed will be viewed as a break in this agreement. The immunity would be terminated and the fate of the six victors determined by the law of District Thirteen. As would her own. Thank you."

In other words, if she stepped out of line, they were all dead.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 3:**

It was almost like her first Hunger Games, being prepped and pampered, made to look naturally beautiful. The dark circles under her eyes, gone. Her skin, flawless. Her nails, polished and filed. However, there was one glaring difference. Her prep team. As it turned out, they had been here all along. Octavia, Venia, Flavius, all three of them at Cinna's request. He probably thought it would make her feel more comfortable, having her usual prep team around. Katniss had grown used to them, fond even. Except they weren't just here as citizens, they had found them chained to the walls, bruises covering their thin bodies. All for some bread, the guard had said. They had been beaten and hurt, tortured, just for a piece of bread that they had stolen in their confusion. It left her seething, Plutarch knew nothing of it, he had been as horrified as she was when they found them. They weren't the same now, her prep team. Flavius and Venia could barely even look her in the eye, their hands shook whenever they got close to her, close to anyone. Octavia tried to be strong, but even she had changed. Katniss hated it, hated what had been done to them, hated the looks they received when they went down to lunch. They probably wouldn't have bothered with eating altogether had she not gone down to the dining room with them. It left her seething, the only thing that was set to make her day just that little bit better, was the thought of going down to Special Defence to see Beetee. Apparently, he had something for her. For her and Gale, given that he was scheduled for the same thing.

The Special Defence level was situated almost as far down as the dungeons where they had found her prep team. It was a beehive of rooms full of computers, labs, research equipment and testing ranges. When they asked for Beetee, they were directed through the maze until they reached an enormous plate-glass window. There, was the first beautiful thing Katniss had seen in the District Thirteen compound. It was a replication of a meadow, filled with real trees and flowing plants, and it was alive with hummingbirds. Beetee sat motionless in a wheelchair at the centre of the meadow, watching as a spring-green bird hovered in mid-air and sipped nectar from a large orange blossom. His eyes followed the bird as it darted away, before he caught sight of her and Gale, standing at the window. He gave them a friendly wave for them to join him inside and the moment they did, Katniss was hit with a wave of cool, breathable air. It was not muggy and humid as she had expected it to be, it was remarkably fresh actually.

"Aren't they magnificent?" said Beetee, his eyes alight with excitement. "Thirteen has been studying their aerodynamics here for years. Forward and backwards flight, and speeds up to a hundred kilometres per hour. If only I could build you wings like these, Katniss!"

"Doubt I could manage them, Beetee," she said, with a laugh.

"Here one second, gone the next. Can you bring a hummingbird down with an arrow?" he questioned.

Katniss shrugged. "I've never tried. Not much meat on them."

"No, and you're not one to kill for sport. I bet they'd be hard to shoot, though."

"You could snare them maybe," suggested Gale. His face took on that distant look he always got when he was trying to work something out. "Take a net with a very fine mesh. Enclose an area and leave a mouth of a square metre. Bait the inside with nectar flowers. While they're feeding, snap the mouth shut. They'd fly away from the noise but only encounter the far side of the net."

"Would that work?"

"I don't know, just an idea. They might outsmart it."

"They might, but you're playing on their natural instincts to flee danger. Thinking like your prey… that's where you find their vulnerabilities." Katniss found her thoughts wandering to the tapes they had been made to study in preparation for the Quarter Quell. She remembered seeing Beetee in his Games, seeing him still just a boy, electrocute a pack of kids that had been hunting him. He watched them die, it wasn't his fault, it wasn't any of their faults, it was just… self-defence. Suddenly, she had the urge to leave the hummingbird room.

"Beetee, Plutarch said you had something for me," she reminded.

"Right, I do. Your new bow." He pressed a hand control on the arm of his chair, and wheeled out of the room. As they followed him through the twists and turns of Special Defence, he explained to them the chair. She had thought it odd that he was still in a wheelchair after all this time. Then again, he had taken a knife to the back and been quite severely electrocuted by both the force field and the lightning bolt. "I can walk a little now, it's just that I tire so quickly. It's easier for me to get around this way. How's Finnick doing?"

Katniss wondered why he was asking her of all people, surely Cashmere would know better, she had only spoken to Finnick on a few occasions. Then again, Kailani tended to be with Cashmere a lot, that would explain why he hadn't asked her. "He's… he's having energy problems, he's tired a lot, spends most of his days sleeping."

Beetee smiled, grimly. "It doesn't surprise. If you knew what Finnick's been through the last few years, you'd know how remarkable it is he's still with us at all. I think the only reason he had kept it together was Kailani and now, well. They are hardly on speaking terms." He shook his head, sadly. "Such a shame, such a shame. Tell him I've been working on a new trident for him, though, will you? Something to distract him a little."

Katniss nodded, "I'll let him know." Distraction definitely seemed to be working well enough for Kailani, perhaps it would work for Finnick too.

The bow Beetee had created for her was one of the most amazing things she had ever seen, it was as if it were alive. It recognised her voice, hummed with life as she held it in her hands. It was curved and a shiny black too, much like her costume, and it didn't just shoot normal arrows but specially designed ones as well, ones that would burst into flame or explode upon impact. She was actually in good spirits by time she returned to the prep room. She sat patiently through the rest of her paint job, didn't argue as she slipped into her costume, didn't even complain when they forced her to stand out on the soundstage for what felt like hours as they adjusted her make-up, the lighting, smoke levels.

"I think that does it," said Plutarch, finally.

Katniss was beckoned over to the monitor, and they played back the last few minutes of taping. She watched the woman on screen, in a sense of disbelief. Her body seemed larger in stature, more imposing. Her face was smudged but sexy, wisps of smoke from her clothes suggested that she had either just been extinguished, or was about to burst into flame. She couldn't even recognise herself in the woman she saw before her.

Finnick, who had been wandering around the set for the past few hours, came up behind her. "They'll either want to kill you, kiss you, or be you," he said, with a hint of his old humour.

Everyone was so excited, so pleased with their work it was exactly what they had imagined and more. And then came the time for her to talk, to look into the camera and be the Mockingjay. They had given her just one line, one line and that would be it for the day. She was hustled back to her place, and the smoke machine kicked in. Someone called for quiet, and the cameras began to roll. "Action!"

So, she did what was asked for her, what was expected. Katniss held her bow over her head and mustered all of her anger, all of the emotion that was supposed to be there after her fake-battle. "People of Panem, we fight, we dare, we end our hunger for justice!" she yelled.

And all that greeted her for her efforts was silence. It rang through the room. No one spoke, no one said a word, and it went on, _and on_. Then, the intercom crackled and Haymitch's acerbic laugh filled the studio. "And that, my friends, is how a revolution dies," he said.

* * *

Cashmere was not surprised to find that Haymitch had summoned them all in wake of Katniss' less than inspiring propo she had filmed the day before, it truly had been awful. The girl had spent months on her victory tour putting on an innocent face and wearing dresses that convinced the world she was nothing but this pure, little girl that had her beloved and was set to spend the rest of her life with him, Katniss had sold that story well enough, one would think she'd have no problem with convincing Panem to rise up against Snow. Apparently, they had overestimated her acting ability. True, she hardly had the experience that she herself had, or that Kailani and Finnick had but that was no excuse. They had all been used as Snow had seen fit, and they had learned quickly or risked losing the ones they loved, they'd been children once too, they had seen their fair share of death she wasn't alone in that regard. Cashmere still thought that Katniss got much more favour than was deserved, she was yet to do anything of use while the rest of them had worked their asses off, yet they were disregarded, they were nothing next to the Mockingjay. Even them gathering, was all for her. There were a few members of her district here, Coin and her people of course were in attendance, Plutarch and Katniss' prep team, even Finnick was in attendance for this particular meeting, the District Four victor wheeling in Beetee, his face drawn and tired, the reason why very clear as an indifferent Kailani strode past the both of them, sparing only Beetee a glance as she entered the room. Cashmere resisted the urge to wince as Finnick's shoulder slumped even further and Kailani placed herself down next to her, her posture stiff.

"I think that's everyone," said Haymitch, hoarsely, with a nod of his head. "Good, play the footage."

The screen flickered to life and there was Katniss, all in black, her message as unbelievable as ever. She didn't believe her own words, so there was no way that everyone else would. Her reluctance, her awkwardness, it shone clear on the screen before them.

"All right," began Haymitch as the propo finally came to an end. "Would anyone like to argue that this is of use to us in winning the war?" There was nothing but silence in the room. "That saves time. So, let's all be quiet for a minute. I want everyone to think of one incident where Katniss Everdeen genuinely moved you. Not where you were jealous of her hairstyle, or her dress went up in flames or she made a halfway decent shot with an arrow. Not where Peeta was making you like her. I want to hear one moment where _she_ made you feel something real." For a long moment, no one said anything. The quiet stretched on for what felt like forever and Cashmere was unwilling to be the one to break it.

"When she volunteered to take her sister's place at the reaping," said Kailani, finally. Her face was softer than it had been in a long time, and she smiled sadly at Katniss. "Volunteers don't happen often as we well know, you're practically volunteering for death and I think that was something that moved a lot of people, myself included."

"Good. Excellent example," said Haymitch. He took out a purple marker and scribbled it out on a notepad. "Volunteered for sister at reaping." Haymitch looked around the table. "Somebody else."

"When she sang the song while the little girl died," said Boggs. Katniss' head snapped around in surprise.

"Who didn't get choked up at that, right?" Haymitch wrote it down.

"I cried when she drugged Peeta so she could go get him medicine and when she kissed him goodbye!" blurted out Octavia, before her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hands, as if she were fearful that she had made some kind of mistake.

Haymitch nodded, "Oh, yeah. Drugs Peeta to save his life. Very nice."

Cashmere sighed, unwillingly. "I can't say that it moved me, but I was certainly impressed when I heard what she'd done in front of the Gamemakers at her private session." She smirked. "It showed defiance against the Capitol, I can appreciate that."

"Good, good. Intimidated the Gamemakers, what else?"

"When she held out those berries to Peeta," said Finnick. "If they couldn't leave together, they weren't going to leave at all and the 74th Hunger Games would have had no victor. It was important for the rebellion and above all else, it gave the rest of us hope once the Quarter Quell rolled around." He gave Kailani a pointed look. She twitched, and any softness from before had long since disappeared. Cashmere had to give him credit though, he refused to give up. Everything he did, everything he said, it always came back to her and _she knew it_. Of course she did, they could read one another like a book. Well, they used to be able too. She wondered though, what would have happened had Finnick's trident struck Kailani that day? It would have been awful, there was no doubt. Their little alliance would have imploded from within, Johanna might have tried to kill Finnick for what he'd done. Hell, her brother probably would have too. He refused to admit it, but he did have some feelings for Kailani. And Finnick, he wouldn't have done a thing to stop them. He said it himself, if they couldn't leave together, they weren't going to leave at all.

"Of course, the berries, who could forget something like that?" Haymitch continued, ignoring the heavy cloud of tension that hovered around the room. He added to the list with every suggestion that was put out there until the page was filled with messy, purple writing and he held it up, "So, the question is, what do all of these have in common?"

"They were Katniss's," said Gale, quietly. "No one told her what to do or say."

"Unscripted, yes!" said Beetee, reaching over to pat Katniss's hands. "So we should just leave you alone, right?"

Some of them laughed, even Katniss managed a smile. Fulvia was not nearly so amused, "Well, that's all very nice but not very helpful," she said, peevishly. "Unfortunately, her opportunities for being wonderful are rather limited here in Thirteen. So unless you're suggesting we toss her into the middle of combat-"

"That's _exactly_ what I'm suggesting. Put her out in the field and just keep the cameras rolling."

"The people think she's pregnant," pointed out Kailani.

"We'll spread the word that she lost the baby from the electrical shock in the arena," said Plutarch. "Very sad, very unfortunate." And if anything, it would only help to garner the support of the districts. To think that all of this, had caused her not only to lose Peeta, but her baby as well. That, despite everything, she still continued to fight. It was not a bad idea, Cashmere was almost impressed that Haymitch in his condition, had thought of it. She supposed that being off the alcohol, his head would be clearer than it had been for a very long time.

"Every time we coach her or give her lines, the best we can hope for is okay. It has to come from her, that's what the people are responding to," pushed Haymitch. He had a clear cut argument that was difficult to go against, even for Coin. She had to have known that they would get nothing at all useful out of Katniss if they kept going as they were. Cashmere wouldn't have been surprised if after a while it started to hurt them more than it did help. She and Kailani could only spread so much good will throughout the districts, particularly when it wasn't either one of them that they wanted to look too. The people wanted Katniss, they wanted the girl on fire, _the mockingjay_.

"Even if we're careful, we can't guarantee her safety," said Boggs, "She'll be a target for every-"

"I want to go," cut in Katniss, quickly. "I'm no help to the rebels here."

"And if you're killed?" asked Coin. Her face was unreadable as she studied Katniss, her eyes boring into the girl.

Katniss didn't break her gaze. "Make sure you get some footage. You can use that anyway," she said.

"Fine," conceded Coin, "But let's take it one step at a time. Find the least dangerous situation that can evoke some spontaneity in you." She walked around Command, studying the illuminated district maps that showed the ongoing troop positions in the war. "Take her into Eight this afternoon. There was heavy bombing this morning, but the raid seems to have run its course. I want her armed with a squad of bodyguards, you two-" Her eyes turned to Cashmere and Kailani. "Will go with her, you'll be there at all times. No doubt you'll be filmed yourselves. Camera crew will be on the ground. Haymitch, you'll be airborne and in contact with her. Let's see what happens there. Does anyone have any other comments?"

"Wash her face," said Dalton. Everyone turned to him in an instant, he was not usually one to speak up. "She's still a girl and you made her look thirty-five. Feels wrongs. Like something the Capitol would do."

He had a point.

Coin adjourned the meeting, and Kailani was out of there in a flash. Not that Cashmere was surprised, she shot Finnick a sympathetic look and strode out after her. She didn't need to rush, she knew where she would be. It wouldn't be long before they left for Eight, there were things that needed to be done though she was positive none of that had anything to do with Kailani's fast escape. However, as expected, there she was, already preparing for battle. Every day Cashmere had new respect for Johanna, having dealt with all of their drama _for years_. Of course, it was not every day that Finnick tried to kill his best friend, but it was every day that he had lived a lie and Cashmere suspected that dealing with their ridiculous act of being nothing more than just friends, would have been exhausting. No wonder she had always been in such an awful mood, or perhaps that was just because she was a bitch in general. Cashmere had no reservations about admitting it, as Johanna no doubt would have no reservations about admitting the same about her. The worry gnawed at her insides, the worry at what the Capitol was doing to the victors they had taken, to Johanna, to Enobaria, to Peeta, _to her brother_ but as ever, she pushed it aside. This was no time for that, she couldn't afford to be distracted. Eight was meant to be relatively safe, but that did not mean she could let her guard down. She and Kailani readied their things in silence, neither all that willing to speak. Combat gear was pulled on, the depressing grey switched out for a sleek black as they gathered their respective weapons, she with her knives and Kailani with her spear. The time passed quickly as they prepared, and it wasn't long at all before Boggs and Katniss met them at the elevator that would take them down to the Airborne Division. Katniss looked much more comfortable now that she would get the chance to do something real, now that she was more herself. She too was decked out in all black, though with a much better design. The work of Cinna, she suspected. It was an improvement though, and it would help. The lift arrived, and unfortunately, so did Finnick. If he seemed normal earlier, he was in a much worse state now, constantly shifting his feet, his hands gripping a knotted rope so tightly that his knuckles had gone white. For someone that constantly had no energy, that was exhausted every day in his depression, he appeared agitated now, more so than Cashmere had ever seen him before. Kailani turned away, apparently more interested in the ground than she was with her former friend.

Cashmere sighed, "Finnick, what are you doing here?"

"They won't let me go! I told them I'm fine, but they won't even let me ride in the hovercraft!" She studied him, his mussed hair, the dark circles beneath his eyes. The temperature was cool but he hardly seemed to notice in only a singlet and track pants, and no shoes on his feet. Finnick Odair was not fit to go out on duty, there was no question about it, and they all knew that. His frame was thinner, his skin was grey and he looked ill. He couldn't go out and protect Katniss, he could barely protect himself. "Finnick…"

"No! I know what you're going to say, that I'm not _well enough_ at the moment." He frowned at the words. "But you and Lani-"

Kailani snapped around in an instant, her face twisted into anger. "I told you not to call me that," she spat out. Finnick flinched, his eyes falling to the ground as the energy left him once more.

"You and Cash get to do this," he said, tiredly. "Why can't I? Why am I any different when _I know_ you both suffer as much as I do."

"Because we've proven ourselves," said Kailani, irritated. "We have been helping the rebellion ever since day one, we've been training ever since we got here. Neither of us curled into a ball and decided to wallow in our depression, we had better things to do and so we did them." Katniss looked uncomfortable, no doubt the words effecting her too. For a long time, she had been no more helpful than Finnick. "You go out there Finnick, and you die. Or worse yet, you'll get one of us killed. If you want to be helpful, why don't you go down and see Beetee. I hear he has a new trident for you, maybe you can train yourself not to-" Kailani broke off, abruptly and spun around to slam her hand on the button to open the doors. "Forget it, go back to bed Finnick." She gave them all a sharp look, and Cashmere, Katniss and Boggs wasted no time in shuffling into the lift alongside her. The guilt on Finnick's face made her heart wrench as the doors slid closed and he disappeared.

"That was a bit harsh, don't you think?" asked Katniss, quietly.

Kailani shot her a glare, but did not answer her. Katniss wasn't foolish enough to try and push the point, instead chatted to Boggs on the intricacies of Thirteen. The doors opened, and Kailani stormed out. Cashmere shook her head, and glanced at Katniss as she took in the Hangar with awe. "If I were you, I would avoid getting involved with any of their business," she said. "Finnick brought this upon himself, and now they are both trying to live with it."

Tearing her eyes away from the airships, Katniss glanced at her. "Do you think she'll ever forgive him?"

"I don't know," answered Cashmere, honestly. "Maybe. Could she ever trust him again though? Well, that's a different story all together. Look just, don't try and push Kailani into doing anything. I assure you, it won't end well."

Katniss nodded, and Cashmere left her to board the hovercraft. It was busier than she was used too with the camera crew and their equipment filling the smaller airship, but none of them paid her that much attention. There was a nod or two from some of the military personnel Coin had sent with them, but other than that, she may as well have been invisible. Even Gale received more interest than she did, and Cashmere had to admit, it annoyed her. She was used to the ground she walked on practically being worshipped, to people fawning over her and her beauty. She was a victor, she had survived two Hunger Games, and she had done a hell of a lot more for this rebellion than Katniss Everdeen had. Yes, she was important. Cashmere knew that, knew the role she had to play in this war. She deserved a little credit though, this war was more than just Katniss. She took her seat next to Kailani and strapped herself in, unable to help herself as she watched all eyes turn to their mockingjay as Boggs escorted her on board. Cashmere supposed it didn't really matter, she would get her credit one day, when this war was won and she was home. She would be welcomed back a hero, she _and her brother_. All they had to do was win this rebellion, and if Katniss was the key to that then she would do anything to make sure it happened.

Kailani looked at her out of the corner of her eye, as the warning bells began to signal take-off. "Jealous?" she asked, quietly.

Cashmere rolled her eyes. "Of _her_? Don't be ridiculous."

The craft began to move, and Kailani raised an eyebrow. Her fellow victor didn't believe her for a second, that much was clear. Lying to Kailani was pointless, she had always been good with people, with knowing how they felt. It was something she had come to learn in the Capitol, that ability to read people, to know the kind of people to target with subtle nudges towards a rebellion. She was sharp, sharper than people often gave her credit for. Her dark eyes shifted to Katniss, the annoyance from earlier still simmering there. "She may be the face of this rebellion, but those that matter will know the role we've played in this war," she said, with a shrug. "Katniss can't win this alone, she needs us. If anything Cash, she should be jealous of you. She could never own the camera as you do, she could never fight and look so effortlessly good as you do, and I guarantee you she could never wield a knife as you do. She's just a girl, a girl that still needs to be mentored. If we are to win this war, we're going to have to do that." A scowl crossed her face. "Whether we like it or not."

Cashmere smirked, her confidence sky-rocketing. Kailani made a number of very good points, if she might say so herself. She could be as angry as she wanted, as hateful at the world as she wanted, but Kailani Allyn would always be nothing more than a good person at heart. Terrifying at times, someone that could put a spear through your skull, but _a good person_. This cold and distant woman hiding away from the world and how she felt, was not Kailani. She was meant to be that person that always knew what to say to make you feel better, that brightened the room and made a dark situation, just that little bit lighter. She was lost at the moment, in pain and suffering, but that kind person was still there under all of that, Cashmere was sure of it. "You know…" she started, warily. "Katniss wasn't all that wrong about what she said earlier." She didn't know what compelled her to say it, to bring up that dreaded subject but she did it nonetheless. Cashmere swooped on that small moment of familiarity because _she knew_, that some part of Kailani, however small, still hated hurting Finnick. It was what had kept her from telling him the truth and it was still there despite the cold looks, the harsh words, despite everything she had done since arriving in Thirteen to- well, she didn't know what good it did. Talking to Kailani about Finnick was difficult at best, perhaps she was trying to push him away, or perhaps it was so that he hurt as she did, Cashmere wasn't sure, she did it though, she hurt him day in and day out.

Kailani's eyes narrowed, dangerously. "You think Finnick should have been allowed to come with us?"

"Obviously not, but I think we all know how harsh you can be with him-"

"Well, I'm sorry if I no longer consider him my best friend after he _tried to kill me_." Her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You have every right to be angry with him, I'm not saying you don't. All I'm saying is that you know full well how awful he feels about all of this, the guilt is eating away at him Kailani, just-" Cashmere sighed. "I don't know. Surely, it can't make you feel any better?"

Kailani looked away, her jaw clenched. "I'm done with this conversation."

Always running, always hiding. Cashmere shook her head, "You can't keep going like this, neither of you can, you know that, right?" She didn't answer, refused to even look at her. Cashmere scoffed, and folded her arms over her chest. If she wanted to pretend that doing what she was doing wouldn't kill them both, then that was fine. She had a rebellion to focus on, _she had tried_, she had seen her opportunity and tried to have Kailani see sense, but the hurt ran too deep, apparently. No one else had noticed the turn in their conversation, all too absorbed in their own. Katniss in particular was attempting to understand the intricacies of the war, the problems they faced. The main issue, in simple terms, was District Two. Every other district was at war with the Capitol, except for them. Despite their participation in the games, Two had always been held in a higher standing than the other districts. After the supposed destruction of Thirteen, it was District Two that had been promoted to the Capitol's new centre of defence, and for it they got more food, had better living conditions. To win this war it was important that they gained the support of District Two as they not only manufactured weaponry, but also trained and even supplied Peacekeepers. A fact that Katniss clearly had not known. In her defence, very few did. Cashmere had the advantage of learning quite a lot of things she was not supposed too in her _activities_.

"You mean… some of the Peacekeepers are born in Two?" she asked, confused. "I thought they all came from the Capitol."

Plutarch nodded, "That's what you're supposed to think. And some do come from the Capitol, but its population could never sustain a force that size. Then there's the problem of recruiting Capitol-raised citizens for a dull life of deprivation in the districts. A twenty-year commitment to the Peacekeepers, no marriage, no children allowed. Some buy into it for the honour of the thing, others take it on as an alternative to punishment. For instance, join the Peacekeepers and your debts are forgiven. Many people are swamped in debt in the Capitol, but not all of them are fit for military duty. So District Two is where we turn for additional troops. It's a way for their people to escape poverty and a life in the quarries. They're raised with a warrior mindset, you've seen how eager their children are to volunteer to be tributes."

"But all the other districts are on our side?"

"Yes," said Cashmere. "The goal is to take over the other districts one by one, make sure they're firmly in rebellion hands before we take Two and cut off the Capitol's supply chain. Once it's weakened, we invade the Capitol itself."

"But that will be a whole other type of challenge," said Plutarch, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"If we win, who would be in charge of the government?" asked Gale.

"Everyone," he said, simply. "We're going to form a republic where the people of each district and the Capitol can elect their own representatives to be their voice in a centralised government. Don't look so suspicious; it's worked before." Gale continued to look incredulous, and Cashmere couldn't blame him. She was sceptical that it would eventuate, that the districts would ever get their voice or even that it would work.

"In books," muttered Haymitch.

"In _history_ books," said Plutarch, pointedly. "And if our ancestors could do it, then we can, too."

"And if we lose?" asked Katniss.

"If we lose?" Plutarch looked out at the clouds passing by, his lips twisting into an ironic smile. "Then I would expect next year's Hunger Games to be quite unforgettable. That reminds me." He took a vial from his vest and shook a few deep violet pills into his hand, holding them out to Katniss and Gale. Ah yes, the pair had yet to go out to the warring districts, they wouldn't know. Cashmere had _thoroughly_ enjoyed that conversation when it had come up for her and Kailani. The tiny pockets on their shoulders were made especially for the small pills, made them accessible even if their hands were bound. "We named them nightlock in your honour, Katniss. The rebels can't afford for any of us to be captured now, but I promise, it will be completely painless."

If the Capitol somehow found them, somehow managed to capture them and take them for interrogation, they were duty bound to ensure that they didn't take them far. The Capitol could not be allowed to learn any more than they already had, and though Cashmere would have liked to have believed that she would tell them nothing, these were the people that had decided watching children kill each other for sport, was a good idea. They were capable of awful things, and the fact was, they all knew too much to be captured.


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 4:**

The hovercraft came into land, and all of them disembarked quickly. It was dangerous for them to hang around or be in the open for too long, this was a war and they had to be as careful as possible after all, they had the mockingjay in their midst for once. Kailani knew that Katniss only meant well, she also knew that Cashmere was right in what she'd said, but that did not mean she liked to hear it any more. How she treated Finnick was her business, not theirs. He had been her best friend, and despite everything they had been through, everything _he knew_ about her, for a split-second he'd tried to kill her. Something like that didn't go away so easily. They thought she was being harsh, being cruel and she supposed she was, but it was all she knew to do to keep herself from getting anymore hurt. Besides, he brought it upon himself. Kailani preferred to avoid Finnick altogether, if he sought her out then that was his problem, not hers. If she didn't see him, she didn't have to protect what little remained of her heart, all she had to do was her job and right now, that was make sure Katniss didn't get herself killed. The distraction is the only reason she threw herself into all of this, the only reason she hadn't done what Finnick and Katniss had. Out in the districts all she had to focus on was whatever mission she had been assigned, all she had to do was protect innocent people from the clutches of the Capitol. She could do that, these people, they didn't deserve to go through what they had all gone through. The Capitol, the Hunger Games, they destroyed everything about you, shattered relationships, ruined lives. No, she would not allow anyone else to go through that and maybe, if she were lucky, once this was all done and gone, Kailani would finally be able to sleep. She was so tired, always so god damn tired. They moved off of the road and towards the row of warehouses as a second hovercraft came in for landing, carrying medics and supplies. The bombings from earlier had no doubt done quite number, they always did. The camera crew that had been brought along were already readying their equipment, Cressida muttering about particular shots as her assistant, Messalla, listened intently. They wanted to show the lengths that the Capitol would go too, the people that suffered, what Katniss would do to help them, to save them. But this was no place for Katniss to shine, not with the wounded streaming in to Eight's makeshift hospitals, bleeding, limbless, unconscious. She did her best in battle, in moments of spontaneity they had already established that.

"This won't work," said Katniss, the panic showing on her face. "I won't be good here." She knew as well that this wasn't what she needed. Yes, she had sung the song for Rue and held the female morphling's hand as she had died, but that had been during the Games, with their adrenaline pumping, with the outside world practically non-existent. _This_, this was different. Kailani caught sight of Commander Paylor, the slightly older woman directing the incoming patients into any space they could fit. Leaving Boggs to tend to the doubts of Katniss, Kailani moved to greet her.

"Commander Paylor," she said, with a nod of her head.

"Ah, Soldier Kailani, welcome back to Eight." She repositioned the automatic weapon on her back, and as she did so, caught sight of the rest of their party. Paylor did a double-take, her dark brown eyes, puffy with fatigue, widening for just a moment. "Well, well, I see you've bought a guest."

"That I have," said Kailani, as Paylor ordered the medics into the warehouse with just a jerk of her thumb. They complied without question. Her authority had been clear from the moment Kailani had met her. Eight was one of the districts she had visited the most in her time with Thirteen, they had already fought a number of battles and lost too many civilians to count. She respected her, respected everything that she did. There weren't too many victors in Eight for the people to flock too, and in their place, Paylor had stepped up to lead them. Though to be fair, there weren't very many victors anywhere anymore, not after what they had done in the Games. Kailani tried not to think about how many of them had been killed already, it just made everything worse. "Our mockingjay has finally come to her senses, now it's just a matter of seeing what she can do."

"I doubt this is the place to test that," said Paylor.

"No, neither do I," she admitted. There was no point lying about it, the discomfort could not have been clearer on Katniss' face. She needed no script for what she could do for these victims though, she just needed to be there. That was the thing about being a symbol, she didn't need to do anything, she just needed to be there. "But at least she'll bring a bit of hope to some of them. They look to her as a symbol of this rebellion, she can do nothing but good for the morale of your people."

Paylor hummed, thoughtfully. "Ever the politician, aren't you?"

"I'm good with words." And with lying through her teeth, and playing the ridiculous games that they played in the Capitol, and getting herself hurt.

The Commander raised an eyebrow. "And what do you really think about her?"

"She frustrates me, but then again, most people do nowadays."

She nodded, "Fair enough." Boggs moved over to them, Katniss alongside him as Cashmere already tended to some of the patients. She was lethal with knives, but she also had some knowledge of medicine. Katniss may have been the face of this rebellion, but Cashmere was still adored by thousands, she knew exactly what she could do for these people. It was the same thing Kailani knew she could do for them, she just wasn't looking forward to the toll it would take on her. She couldn't be cold with these people, she had to be soft and kind and that left her much too vulnerable. A child cried, tears streaming down his face as a medic dabbed at the wounds on his legs. The sight of it tugged at her heartstrings and internally, she sighed, Kailani would do what she had too though. This wasn't about her, it was about them.

"This is Commander Paylor of Eight," introduced Boggs, "Commander, Soldier Katniss Everdeen."

"Yeah, I know who she is," said Paylor, scrutinising everything about her. "You're alive, then. We weren't sure." There was a note of accusation in her voice. Paylor knew full well that Katniss had been alive this entire time, Kailani had told her herself.

Kailani placed a hand on her shoulder, she didn't need to be around for this, Katniss could fend for herself. "I'm going in, let us know if you need anything else from us, we'll try and organise it." Paylor nodded her thanks, and Kailani left them be. The camera crew would remain with her for the most part, if they wanted anything of either herself or Cashmere, they knew where to find them. Corpses lined the corridor leading into the hospital, the ones that could not be saved. There were many, too many. It didn't seem wise to have them lying around, nor to have so many sick and injured under one roof, but they would not be alone in that. Often, this was all they could do to try and help their people. It was either that or leave them out in the dirt and rubble to die. This was better than nothing, but even she found the small difficult to stomach as she stepped through the thick, medical-grade curtain that hung the length of the building. Kailani didn't let it show though, that would do nothing for these people that barely clung onto life. No doubt they knew it was bad, it was impossible not to. The stench of soiled linen, putrefying flesh and vomit, all ripening in the heat of the warehouse, was overwhelming. Kailani spotted Cashmere in amongst it all, kneeling down next to an elderly man and his daughter, her usual demeanour replaced with a mask of compassion, unable to tell at all that she was uncomfortable with the smell, with the heat, with the situation itself. She was doing her job, and now it was time for Kailani to do hers. They went from patient to patient, doing anything they could to make them more comfortable, to give them some peace, but it didn't take long for the attention to switch, for murmurs to spread throughout the warehouse. Katniss, Katniss Everdeen, the Mockingjay, their symbol of rebellion, their hope, she was finally doing what she should have been doing from the moment they left the arena. She was inspiring, she was being the figure that this rebellion, that these people, needed her to be. Kailani exchanged looks with Cashmere, but neither stopped what they were doing. Katniss could not be everywhere at once, and the people were grateful to them as well. However, it was not their names they chanted as they left. Of course it wasn't, it was never going to be.

_Katniss, Katniss, Katniss. _

With no one to see it as they stepped into the fresh air once more, Cashmere rolled her eyes. She hated not getting the credit she deserved, that _they_ deserved but there was nothing to be done for it now.

"You did great," said Boggs, as Katniss leaned against the warehouse, catching her breath. He handed her a canteen of water and she took it gratefully.

"We got some nice stuff in there," agreed Cressida.

"I didn't do much, really," said Katniss.

"You have to give yourself some credit for what you've done in the past," said Boggs.

Katniss looked at him incredulously. "That's a mixed bag."

"Well, you're not perfect by a long shot but times being what they are, you'll have to do." Probably not the words Kailani would have gone with if she were trying to be encouraging, it sounded more like they were stuck with her than anything else. Though, that wasn't entirely off the mark.

Gale squatted down beside Katniss and shook his head. "I can't believe you let all those people touch you," he said, "I kept expecting you to make a break for the door."

She laughed, "Shut up."

"Your mother's going to be very proud when she sees the footage." A shot of pain went through Kailani, and she looked away. The most she had of her mother right now was the hope that she was dead, and that certainly was nothing to be proud of. Kailani forced her muscles to unwind, her knuckles to unclench. It was okay, nothing could hurt her any more than she already had been, it was done, she was gone, it was fine.

"My mother won't even notice me. She'll be too appalled by the conditions in there." Katniss turned to them. "Is it like this in every district?"

Cashmere nodded, "Yes. Most are under attack. Thirteen try and get as much aid in there as they can, but it's not enough." Boggs frowned, something in his earpiece distracting him. Kailani straightened up, something was wrong.

"We're to get to the airstrip. Immediately," he said, pulling Katniss to his feet. "There's a problem."

"What kind of problem?" asked Kailani.

"Incoming bombers." He reached behind Katniss and yanked the helmet up over her head. "Let's move!"

That was not good, not good at all. This was supposed to a relatively safe mission, the bombing was supposed to be over. Clearly, they had miscalculated. Either that, or the Capitol knew that Katniss was here. The point was though, that the bombs were coming and they didn't have a lot of time to move. She and Cashmere fell back, protecting the rear of the pack, pushing them along if they slowed. There was only one thing that mattered now and that was getting Katniss the hell out of there. The rebellion could all be for nothing if she died here, she hadn't left enough off of mark yet. The sirens began to wail, and within seconds, a low-flying V-shaped formation of Capitol planes appeared above them, and the bombs began to fall. None of them could do anything as they were thrown from their feet, the force of the first explosion rippling through the ground beneath them. The warehouses nearby creaked ominously, and Cashmere let out a string of swear words as she clutched at her side. Boggs had Katniss on the ground, her body being shielded by his and as the bombs continued to fall, they could do nothing but wait for them stop. Making a dash for it was too dangerous, not only did they not know where the Capitol was targeting, but they could not afford Katniss to be seen. All they could do was wait, wait and hope for the best.

"There's a light blue warehouse three down from you," said Plutarch, his voice in her ear. "Can you get there?"

"We can try," said Cashmere. "It's a lot better than nothing."

"How long until the next wave?" asked Kailani. There was always going to be more than one, the Capitol never did anything half-heartedly.

"Forty-five seconds at the most."

Boggs hauled Katniss to her feet, and she grunted in pain. Their mockingjay did not complain though, she knew what was at stake. Leaning heavily on one leg, she followed Boggs. He had taken the lead, but the priority was Katniss. She remained at the centre of them all as they sprinted past one warehouse, and then another. The faded blue façade of the third warehouse was almost within reach, when the bombs began once more. Kailani didn't see who threw themselves on Katniss, she assumed it would be someone. The wave was longer this time, but further away. The Capitol weren't tracking them then, this was just a coincidence. A _really unfortunate_ coincidence. Cashmere sucked in a sharp breath of air, her eyes widening as realisation struck as to what they were targeting, if not them. The only building with life for miles around, _the hospital_.

Gale jumped to his feet, "They're targeting the hospital!" he yelled. Apparently, they weren't the only ones that had come to that conclusion.

"Not your problem," said Plutarch, firmly. "Get to the bunker."

"But there's nothing but the wounded there!" argued Katniss. She had that look about her, that look of someone about to do something either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.

"Get them to the bunker," ordered Kailani. Her eyes scanned the area until they found what they were looking for, an access ladder. Eight may have been bombed earlier, but they did still have some defensive capabilities and they were all located up high. She strapped her spear to her back, and climbed.

"This was not authorised," warned Plutarch, "You're to get Katniss to safety-"

"They can do that without us," snapped Cashmere, though she shoved Katniss down with a look of warning as she passed. _"Stay here."_ They had both been here before, neither wanted to see what was left of Eight destroyed. Katniss was important, but they didn't sign up to be babysitters. There was a war to fight, and they were going to fight it. Besides, it was better them than Katniss. The machine gun nests were manned for the most part, but none of the rebels complained as Kailani and Cashmere each took their place at one. They'd proven what they could do when they survived the Games, when they came out to the districts and helped these people defend their home, they had earned enough respect that their abilities were not questioned. There was movement out of the corner of her eye, and Kailani just caught Katniss and Gale as they streaked across the roof and kneeled down behind a barrier. She rolled her eyes, if she were being honest, she wasn't all that surprised. The third wave came into view, seven small bombers in a V-shaped formation, and Kailani took aim. They were like fish in a big, blue sea. Fast, evasive, but easy enough for her to spear. Katniss managed to clip one with an arrow that burst into flame, sending it veering off course, as Kailani took out another. Neither effort was enough to stop the hover planes from dropping their load on the buildings below though.

"Positions!" shouted Paylor, as yet another wave appeared. The Capitol just would not let up. The sound of gunfire and explosions filled the air, but Kailani tuned all of that out as she aimed at the incoming planes. Someone managed a hit on the point plane, as Kailani hit the belly of the one behind it and both Katniss and Gale scored one each with arrows that exploded. However, without warning, a third V formation was unveiled. It was an exploding arrow that took out the point plane this time, as another blasted the wing off of the one behind it sending it careening into yet another. Kailani took out the fourth one, as she assumed Cashmere took out the other, given the pleased smirk she received.

"All right, that's it," said Paylor. They had taken out the majority, but a lot of bombs still fell. Flames and heavy black smoke from the wreckages obscured their view and Katniss looked around.

"Did they hit the hospital?"

"Must have," she said, grimly.

Katniss hurried to the ladder, no doubt wanting to see the damage that had been done. This time, Cashmere did follow behind her. There was no point them having come this far just for her to get herself killed. Messalla and one of the cameramen emerged from behind an air duct. If anything, they were dedicated to the cause, to their job. They had put their lives on the line just to get a few good shots, it was bordering on insanity.

"They're growing on me," said Gale. Kailani didn't answer him, just nudged him towards the ladder. She was not so stupid to think that he was any less important than Katniss in all of this. She had already lost Peeta, her home, there was no way she would be able to handle losing anything else.

It was a surprise to find no one there waiting for them as they touched down on the ground once more, Kailani had at least expected a furious looking Boggs to be there. However, Katniss wasn't one to complain. She was already halfway down the street, Gale rushing to catch up with her as Cressida followed behind the pair, the camera fixed on them and their reactions as they caught sight of the hospital, or at least, what used to be a hospital. The Capitol had hit their mark, the roof of the hospital was collapsed in on itself and the entire building was up in flames. The patients that they had all tried to help earlier, to soothe and lift their moods were left trapped inside. Some had escaped, those few running about frantically, wanting to help, but unable too. There were screams and cries, and if those inside weren't already dead by debris or fire, then the smoke would finish them off.

"Fuck," muttered Cashmere, her eyes fixed on the disaster before them. It was hard to look away from.

A group of rescuers had assembled, trying to clear a path inside but really, there was little point. Kailani was vaguely aware of another camera, pointed at her and Cashmere now but she couldn't care less. It all seemed so superficial given that people all around them were _dying_. Innocent people were bleeding, children were burning, Kailani was exhausted. All she could bring herself to do was stare blankly as the flames spread. Cashmere was stiff next to her, and her eyes burned with anger. Neither of them cried, not for the people they had met, nor even the children. That would come later, when they were alone, when they were surrounded by nothing but darkness and their nightmares.

"Come on, Katniss," said Gale. "Haymitch says they can get a hovercraft in for us now."

"Why would they do that?" asked Katniss. "Why would they target people who were already dying?"

"To send a message," said Kailani, her voice empty. The cameras were trained on her now, but she ignored them, her eyes trained on Katniss. "To scare and intimidate, to stop anyone from going for help. The Capitol don't care about any of these people, they never have, they never will, they are expendable to them. All that matters is that they have the control, that people know who it is that have the power, that they can strike at any time with no mercy to women, children or the wounded. That's why they did this, Katniss. The Hunger Games were a message to the people that they had the control, as the Quarter Quells were a reminder that the rules could change at any time. This, this bombing is just one of many, and it is meant to serve as a message to us, to the rebels. Snow wants to scare us away, scare the people away from taking what they deserve: their lives, _their freedom_."

Cressida turned to Katniss, her demeanour cool. "President Snow had them air the bombing live, and then made an appearance of his own. What about you? Would you like to tell the rebels anything?" she asked.

"Yes," whispered Katniss, before her voice became more forceful. "_Yes_."

"About time," muttered Cashmere, quiet enough so that only Kailani could hear her. This mission had not gone to plan, that was obvious but perhaps it would work out even better. Katniss needed to see this, needed to see what the Capitol was doing to the districts. Haymitch was right to have sent her out here, it was the push she needed.

"I want to tell the rebels that I am alive. That I'm right here in District Eight, where the Capitol has just bombed a hospital full of unarmed men, women and children. There will be no survivors." Her voice did not shake, but remained strong. "I want to tell people that if you think for one second the Capitol will treat us fairly if there's a ceasefire, you're deluding yourself. Because you know who they are and what they do." Katniss threw a hand out, indicating to the horror that surrounded them. "_This_ is what they do! And we must fight back!" She walked closer to the camera. "President Snow is sending us a message? Well, I have one for him. You can torture us and bomb us and burn our districts to the ground, but do you see that?" Katniss pointed to one of the planes that burned on the roof of a warehouse, the camera following her. The Capitol seal on the wing glowed clearly through the flames. "Fire is catching!" She shouted, fiercely. "And if we burn, _you burn with us!_"

There was a long, drawn out silence as Katniss breathed heavily. Kailani could almost see the flames coming off of her again, like her costume during the parade. This was her, this was their mockingjay. "Cut!" yelled Cressida. "That's a wrap."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N - I AM SO SORRY. I feel like every time I update I just apologise. I TOLD YOU GUYS, I GET DISTRACTED SO EASILY. I still have a few chapters in the bank, so we should be all good for a little while, I'll try update as often as possible and get back into the writing swing of things ASAP. I PROMISE. Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has stuck with this story, you guys are the bestest ever. Xx **

**CHAPTER 5:**

Finnick had to admit, he was impressed. He might have been so far out of it these days that he didn't even know what day of the week it was, but that propo had been nothing short of amazing. The districts would rally to that, there was no doubt. Clips of the battle in Eight, of Katniss, of Cashmere and Kailani, of Gale were all edited together smoothly. Most of the time it would be Katniss talking, but Kailani's words were in there too. He heard them, he hung off of them. It was not _his_ Kailani, he could hear the distance in her voice but at least there was no anger there either. He had only caught a glimpse of Kailani as she returned, ever since he hadn't seen her at all. Finnick assumed that she and Cashmere had been sent back out into the districts, the pair being less valuable than Katniss, but much more influential than anyone else in Thirteen. There was a part of him that wanted to be out there too, helping, fighting, but if he was going to do that he wanted to do it with Kailani, he wanted to have her back as he always used too but at this rate, that wasn't something that would ever happen again. He sighed, deeply, watching the propo play on their screens for what felt like the hundredth time. Beetee had done a good job hacking into the airwaves and broadcasting it through the districts, apparently there was more to come too. There was enough footage for another propo with Katniss, and Fulvia wanted him to narrate some kind of remembrance propos for some of the dead tributes and victors. It wouldn't take long, she assured. Finnick supposed that since he did nothing else, he could probably bring himself to at least narrate a propo or two. He just hoped he wouldn't have to give one for Kailani any time soon.

They all focused on him, said he wasn't well enough to go out into duty, but if that was true, then she wasn't either. He knew she had trouble sleeping, it was something that had always caused problems when she was under stress, or suffering. Insomnia had plagued her ever since she had returned from the Games, actually she had had more than a little bit of an issue with sleeping pills for it. Her mother had allowed it at first but it quickly became clear how reliant she'd become on them. It was only when Kailani allowed him back into her life again that he and Mags were able to ween her off of them. Someone always had to be there though, whether it was her mother or whether it was him, someone needed to be there when she went to sleep otherwise she just wouldn't bother. She needed to feel safe otherwise, the nightmares would ensure that she'd go sleepless. Finnick was pretty sure that person wasn't going to be him anytime soon, that it wouldn't be him she allowed to hold her at night and keep her inner demons away, but if it couldn't be him then who could it be? Her mother was captured, Gloss probably could have, but the Capitol had him too. Right now, Kailani had no one and he had an awful feeling that the sleeping pills were all that kept her going. How was that better than him? How did that allow her to go out and fight? She might have _seemed_ okay but there was no way in hell, that she actually was. Of course, this was all his fault in the first place so who was he to step in and put a stop to it. All it would do was make Kailani angrier, if that were possible. He deserved all of it though, Finnick knew that. He had broken her, he had made her like this, he had been the one to try and kill her. He shuddered, ignoring the fact that other people in the cafeteria gave him strange looks. Finnick still could not get the look she had given him that day out of his head, it was burned into his brain. Every time he closed his eyes he saw that look, that terrified, betrayed look. Did her words and cold looks hurt him whenever he was fool enough to try and speak with her, or go anywhere near her? Absolutely. They cut like Cashmere's knives into his skin, but he deserved everything she threw at him. There was nothing in this world that could have made Kailani do to him, what he did to her. Finnick didn't mean it though, he swore he didn't. He still could not understand what had come over him that day, what had compelled him to pick up his trident. It made him feel sick, he wanted to throw up. Certainly, it wouldn't be the first time he had done it when thinking about this particular subject. Instead, he opted for a different plan, a distraction. Finnick had listened and watched Kailani in that propo enough times for that day. Besides, the new one was to be aired soon, who better to watch it with than their star?

Katniss looked up in surprise as he entered, her dinner laid out on a tray in front of her. She was a bit banged up after her excursion to Eight, but not as bad as Finnick had expected. "Thought we could watch your newest propo together," he said, lightly, sending her a wink. Finnick didn't tell her that he just needed to get away from his own brooding thoughts for a little while, that if he sat and listened to Kailani for any longer he might go insane. Thankfully, Katniss was not one to question. In fact, she seemed quite pleased to see him. No doubt being stuck in the hospital was the last place she wanted to be. The "Because you know what they are and what they do" propo was as flawlessly put together as the last. There was more of Kailani in this one, Cashmere too. Unlike in the one before, this time Finnick actually got to see the coldness of her face as she spoke about the Capitol, about why they would bomb a hospital. He wanted to look away, but something held him there. Her face was so distant, and empty. There were dark circles under her eyes, and bruises had started to show from- he didn't even know what. The explosions, maybe? No one told him anything, it was all guesswork. Cashmere looked no better though, so he assumed it had been during the bombings that they'd all gotten injured. The footage switched between the shots that they had gotten on the ground, and studio shots of some of the others describing what they had seen. Bombs rained down on the roof of the hospital, and Katniss buried her face into a pillow. It must have been hard, having to watch it over and over again. It must have been even harder to hear the people praise you, when all you'd really done was react angrily after innocent people were killed. All Finnick had heard throughout Thirteen was talk about Katniss, not about Eight, or the hundreds that had been killed, just Katniss. If it bothered him, he didn't even want to think about how she felt about it. It was almost like the Hunger Games all over again, the victor came out being praised and loved, while all those children that had been killed were, for the most part, forgotten about. Katniss did the right thing though, there was nothing she could have done for those people, the bombings would have happened with or without her there, but now, hopefully, she could inspire others to rebel against the Capitol. In the big scheme of things, that was all that mattered.

"People should know that happened," said Finnick, glancing over at her as she frowned at the TV. "And now they do."

"Let's turn it off, Finnick," urged Katniss, "Before they run it again." He wasn't going to complain about that request, not at all. He leaned over to grab the remote control, when suddenly, her voice stopped him. "Wait!" she cried. The screen had changed, the Capitol seal taking over. There was to be a special segment, and the sinking feeling in his stomach told Finnick that he knew exactly what it was. Snow was never one to let a crime go unpunished. The ever-present Caeser Flickerman greeted the viewers, and before long, Peeta was brought out. Finnick could practically feel all of the air leave the room, and he glanced over at a horrified Katniss. This was not the Peeta they had seen just a few days ago, this was a boy that had been broken. He had lost weight, his hands shook despite themselves and no matter how much makeup they put on him, nothing could have covered the effects that being held captive had had. They shouldn't have been watching this, Coin would be furious if she knew that they were watching. Finnick had heard what Katniss had done to keep the other victors safe from persecution should they be rescued, the people of Thirteen did not want her to have any more ammunition to cause trouble or stray from the good work she'd been doing. Anything to do with Peeta, was off limits. It was a good thing then that none of those people were here. Caeser and Peeta exchanged a few empty courtesies, and then the real questions began, questioning him about rumours of Katniss taping propos for the districts.

"They're using her, obviously," said Peeta. "To whip up the rebels. I doubt she even really knows what's going on in the war, what's at stake."

"Is there anything you'd like to tell her?" asked Caeser.

"There is." Peeta turned to look directly into the screen. "Don't be a fool, Katniss. Think for yourself. They've turned you into a weapon that could be instrumental in the destruction of humanity." Finnick frowned. So, that was the play Snow had decided to go with? He wanted to turn Katniss against the cause. "If you've got any real influence, use it to put the brakes on this thing. Use it to stop the war before it's too late. Ask yourself, do you really trust the people you're working with? Do you really know what's going on? And if you don't… find out." The screen went black, and Finnick could see Katniss' mind racing. Peeta was not entirely wrong, he didn't trust Coin, not when she was willing to treat them all like tools to be used until they were broken, when she couldn't care less the state her people were in as long as they functioned appropriately. Finnick had to concede, it was a good plan. Even if Katniss did nothing, Peeta's words would still create tension. The seeds had been planted, and he could already see those fruits begin to grow. There were footsteps approaching and quickly, Finnick turned the TV off. They had to play dumb, it was the only option. He grabbed Katniss by the arm tightly, forcing her to look at him "We didn't see it," he ordered.

She frowned, confused. "What?"

"We didn't see Peeta. Only the propo in Eight, and then we turned the set off because the images upset you. Got it?" Katniss nodded, dumbly, and he settled back into his seat. "Finish your dinner."

It was an easy sell, pretending they hadn't seen anything when Plutarch and Fulvia entered. Finnick could see the concern give way to relief as they were convinced that neither one of them had seen Caeser Flickerman interview Peeta, and the fact that he was, was never mentioned. It would do nothing to help Katniss believe that these people were indeed on her side, that she could trust them. Finnick left soon after but he was sure her head was still swirling, still processing. He knew how difficult it was for her to trust other people, Finnick wasn't entirely sure when he himself managed to do it, he certainly didn't deserve it. He tried to kill his best friend, lied to Katniss about the plan and couldn't get Peeta before the hovercraft left. He could have sworn that in most universes, those weren't acts that facilitated trust but Katniss always had been weird. And just like then, she was smart enough not to do anything about her misgivings. If an opportune moment presented itself then she would strike, she was a hunter that was what she did. However, for the time being, she just had to be careful. Katniss didn't speak to him at all about what they had seen, about what it meant until she was certain, that Thirteen could not listen in on them. With Gale scheduled to work with Beetee on weapons or something, it was Finnick that she got permission for to join her out hunting and he had never been more glad. He hadn't been out of that place in what felt like forever. Of course, that was all his doing. The thought of staying in his dark room, curled up amongst the covers of his bed where no one could bother him was always immensely appealing, but just this one time, he would do this for Katniss. If she didn't talk to someone, then he feared she might do something more stupid. Besides, once he actually started _doing_, it did feel good. Katniss didn't comment on the fact that he brought along a spear, rather than a trident. Finnick couldn't even bear the thought of holding a trident again, not after what had happened in the jungle. They wander about for a while, until they ditched their communicators under a bush and once they were a safe distance away, sat down to talk about the propo. He could tell that Katniss had been waiting all morning for this, even he was mildly curious. When he'd woken up and dragged himself from his room he expected the base to be alight with mutterings and complaints about Peeta, about the damage the victors were doing trapped there in the Capitol. It was what had happened last time, but this had been different. There was nothing, it was like no one had seen anything but they _must have_. That transmission had been broadcast all throughout Panem, as much as the message was for Katniss, it provided enough doubt to validate being aired to the rest of the districts as well.

"I haven't heard one word about it," he said, honestly. "No one's told you anything?" Katniss shook her head, though that didn't surprise him. Finnick paused, debating whether to ask her or not before giving in. "Not even Gale?" Her silence was enough of an answer for him. He was willing to bet that her friend knew about it, just wasn't saying anything. Why? He didn't know. Perhaps he was jealous, Cashmere had complained to him before that Katniss got all the good men. She'd been trying to draw a reaction from him, it would have in the old days, but it hadn't worked that time. "Maybe he's trying to find a time to tell you privately."

Katniss did not look all that convinced. "Maybe."

They fell into silence, and Finnick found his thoughts wandering again. He had been a little concerned for Annie of late, he was still in disbelief that she had been using him all of these years but, after seeing Peeta, he was scared for her. She didn't deserve that, there was still some part of her that was good. At least, he thought there might have been. She could be so lost and dazed at times that maybe, they had thought to leave her be. However, the good will would not extend to anyone else. The Capitol would have known that Annie was in no right state to help start a rebellion, but everyone else, they were not so lucky. What about Mags? Poor, dear old Mags. He couldn't bear to think the torture they put her through. She couldn't handle that kind of treatment at her age but that wouldn't stop them. Then there was Johanna, she would fight and they would fight back, and she would just be hurt even more. There was no way she would give anything to them, and they would _hate that_. Gloss and Enobaria, both of them genuinely knew nothing about the plan to escape but the Capitol wouldn't believe them. Enobaria might get lucky given that she was from District Two and she had tried hard to kill them during the Quell, but Gloss, he was too close to Kailani to be given a pass, not to mention that Cashmere had escaped along with them. No, he would be suffering as much as anyone else and what was Finnick doing about it? Absolutely nothing. He felt tired again, his limbs felt weak and he had the sudden urge to lie down and not move. Instead, he turned to Katniss.

"Did Coin send Kailani out again?" he asked. Finnick couldn't help himself, he had to know. Everything came back to her, it always did. He missed her, he needed her, but he couldn't have her. Finnick tried not to dwell too much on what any of that meant, it was all too complicated and it didn't matter anymore anyway.

Katniss glanced at him. "Yeah, I think so. Her and Cashmere from what they told me, separate districts. They wanted to capitalise on the Airtime Assault and sent them out as soon as we got back, I think."

Finnick swallowed, thickly. Separate districts meant that not even Cashmere could watch her back. She'd promised that she would, she promised him that she would keep her safe. "I see." What if something happened to her? What if she died out there, _alone_. Finnick didn't want her to die but he certainly didn't want her to die hating him either.

"She'll be okay," said Katniss, her voice confident. "Kailani is different out there. Well, I suppose she's different all the time now but, you know she's a good fighter, Finnick, she'll be fine."

He forced a smile to his face, "You're right." His words sounded hollow even to him, but Katniss didn't say anything further. He was glad too, Finnick wasn't sure he would be able to keep this façade up. He longed for his room, for his bed. When a lone buck wandered into range and Katniss shot it, he had no issues with hauling it all the way back to the fence. All it meant was that he got to go back to bed sooner, that was all he wanted.

Well, that wasn't true. All he wanted was for Kailani to forgive him and for things to go back to as they were.

But that wasn't going to happen.

* * *

No one said anything, there were small looks exchanged but other than that, if Kailani didn't know any better she would have thought that nothing of interest had happened while she was away. It was a lie, and a bad one at that. She didn't bring it up though, nor did Cashmere. They had been in different districts, Cashmere in Three and Kailani in Eleven, but she knew the political smiles and compliments when she saw them. Did these people think they were dumb? Did they think they were just pretty faces content to follow orders? Both of them would be dead if that were true. Of course they had seen the newest propo from the Capitol, _everyone had_. No one talked about it though, no one even mentioned it as they returned to Thirteen. Kailani didn't understand it, she really didn't. They had worked with them this far, they knew that their friends, their family captured by Snow were being hurt and still, they did everything that was asked of them. What made Coin think that any of that would change? Kailani hated it, hated what these people thought of them, hated being lied too (though it was all karma she supposed), hated all of it. She just- she hated everything. Not even her victory in Eleven had improved her mood. They had managed to take Eleven and push back the peacekeepers while she had been there. It was progress, and the gratitude she received was enough to make even her manage a smile. That all changed when she landed back in Thirteen though. The air was heavy and stifling, and she knew immediately that something was off when she saw Cashmere. Masks, masks, masks, they had too many, used them too often. She had arrived back from Three earlier than Kailani, having led them to a similar victory, but it looked as if she'd been stuck there weeks. All of these politics, all of these games, they were exhausting. Cashmere might have enjoyed the attention she received in the Capitol, the adoration, it might have made everything she did just that little bit better, but there was none of that here. There was nothing to make either one of them feel better at being used. Kailani was so annoyed by the entire situation that she even, for the briefest of moments, considered asking Finnick whether or not the people here had seen the propo. But that thought was quick to be shot down. She didn't need him, she would keep playing the innocent and work out what the hell was going on later. It didn't really matter anyway. Did it bother her that information was being kept from them? Of course. However, as long as the rebels won this war and she could fade away into some dark corner of Panem where no one would bother her (hurt her), where no one could judge her and these endless charades could be put away, then she would be happy.

Well, as happy as she could be nowadays.

The camera team had decided to take Katniss back to her own district for the day, there had been no camera the first time around, no doubt they hoped to draw another reaction out of her. She was as much a tool as any of them, but sometimes sacrifices had to be made. They hadn't bothered asking Kailani or Cashmere to go with them, this visit had nothing to do with them and apparently, they were both required elsewhere. Kailani was _supposed_ to be resting, but sleep rarely came to her these days. The doctors knew that, she must have looked particularly bad for them to order she have the rest of her day off though. Her room was dark, and silent. All she could hear were the quiet sounds of people moving around the base, of work being done on the lower levels but that was all background noise. Oh, how she wanted to sleep. She'd had next to none since her mission out to Eleven, but she couldn't. Kailani knew there was no point, whenever she slept she just woke up feeling even worse. The only time she might have gotten an ounce of sleep was if she had been knocked unconscious, or she had taken a couple (more than she ought to have been) sleeping pills. For the most part though, her supply had been cut off. Her last batch was long gone and the doctors in the hospital refused to give her anymore unless it was prior to a mission. They liked to ensure she was well-rested before being deployed. Kailani stared tiredly at the roof, her eyes drooping despite themselves. _No, no, no, no_. She wanted to sleep, but at the same time, she really didn't. Tears sprung up at the corner of her eyes, and she forced herself to take deep breaths. She was so tired. Her chest tightened, and she let out a quiet sob. Kailani just needed her pills, everything was so much easier when she had them. The world would blur together, and everything would hurt a little less. But now, now her mind was humming. She thought of Peeta, hurt and bloodied. Kailani had no doubt that all of the other prisoners had suffered the same fate, if not worse. Johanna, Enobaria, Gloss. She missed him, she didn't think she would if he ever left, but she did. Gloss was a distraction, he had always known when she needed to "let off some steam" and _he was safe_. She thought of Annie. Sweet, foolish Annie. She thought of her mother, she missed her so much. Mags was supposed to be _here_, not anywhere else. She'd given them one job and that was make sure her mother got out of there. There was no doubt in her mind that she would have made her talk to Finnick by now. At least, she would have tried. _Finnick_. Her traitorous heart missed him more than any one. He was there, but he was so far. Seeing him hurt her too much, just thinking about it made all of the pain come back. Tears slipped down her face and she squeezed her eyes closed. If only Haymitch were still on the alcohol, that would have done a good enough job for Kailani at this point.

By time the sun rose in the morning, she felt like a train had hit her. If Kailani had still been running off of the fumes of adrenaline before, that was long gone now. She kept well away from the hospital that day, if any of them caught even a glimpse of her they would order her back to bed. She considered creating a scene, just enough to force them to sedate her but in the long run, that created more trouble than it was worth. Kailani had no idea what her schedule for the day was, but whatever it was, she ignored it. Meals were skipped, lessons were missed, and Kailani spent all of her day down in the training rooms. Most of her sparring partners ended up on the ground, and until Cashmere arrived, she was given a fairly wide berth.

"Not bothering with dinner this evening?" she asked, balancing a knife on her finger absentmindedly.

Kailani threw another spear at the target and it hit directly in the centre. "I'm not hungry."

"Perhaps not, you look fucking exhausted though." This time, Cashmere threw her knife. It brushed the tip of Kailani's spear to lodge itself into the middle of the target. She smirked, pleased. Kailani made no move to respond to her comment, there was no need. Cashmere rolled her eyes. "You might be avoiding dinner, but you can't avoid Command. We've been called for a meeting, let's go."

"They don't need me there, it's probably just another one of Katniss' propos. I'll watch it later."

"Do you really want Coin to hound you even more? Just give the bitch what she wants and then she'll leave you alone." It was a fair point. If Kailani avoided the meeting Coin might think that something was wrong with her, then she would have doctors bothering her and she'd be forced to rest for even longer. Kailani couldn't have that, she couldn't deal with a night that was any longer than it already was. Cashmere walked towards the doors, not even bothering to glance back and see if Kailani was following. She knew that she would be, her argument was too good. There were people everywhere, all crowded into Command. Screens had been set up on the table, all of them showing the regular Capitol feed. It must have been important if Finnick were there, they so rarely called him into meetings. Not that she took note of him first as she walked into the room. He was sitting next to Katniss, of course she saw him there too. As usual, she ignored him. It was better that way, less painful, safer. Cashmere sat herself much too close to them for her liking though, sitting next to Plutarch, just two seats away from Finnick. Unwilling to appear effected, Kailani followed. She could feel Finnick's gaze on her, but she kept her eyes on the screens ahead.

"Do you guys know what's going on?" asked Cashmere.

"I don't know, I thought we were seeing the Twelve propos?" said Katniss, confused.

"Oh, no," said Plutarch. "I mean, possibly. I don't know exactly what footage Beetee plans to use."

"Beetee thinks he's found a way to break into the feed nationwide," said Finnick. Someone had apparently been spending time down in Special Defence. "So that our propos will air in the Capitol, too. He's down working on it in Special Defence now. There's live programming tonight, Snow's making an appearance or something." Kailani hadn't known about any of that, she really _had_ kept to herself the last few days. "I think it's starting."

The Capitol seal appeared, underscored by the anthem and then, there was Snow. He greeted the nation, and Kailani could not for the life of her understand how people _didn't_ see the awfulness in the man that stood before them. His eyes were cold, his face unkind even as he smiled a small smile. The camera pulled back, allowing Peeta to be seen in the shot. His foot tapped against the chair he sat on at some kind of irregular beat, and his unfocused eyes stared through at them all. He had gotten worse, he had been hurt even more. Still, he spoke with the emotion that was no doubt required of him. _Frustrated_, he spoke about the need for a ceasefire again. He highlighted the damage done to key infrastructure in various districts, showing images on the destruction, all of it blamed on the rebels. A broken dam in Seven. A derailed train with a pool of toxic waste spilling from the tank cars. A granary collapsing after a fire- and then, there was Katniss. The feed switched so quickly that it was almost a shock to see her on their screens again, standing in the rubble of her home.

Plutarch jumped to his feet, "He did it! Beetee broke in!"

The room was buzzing with reaction before Peeta was back, his face distracted. He tried to keep going, moving on to the bombing of water purification plant, when a clip of Finnick talking about Rue replaced him. Kailani might have flinched at the suddenness had she not been so impressed with what Beetee was doing. Now everyone, even those in the Capitol, would see what was truly going on. The whole thing broke down into a broadcast battle, as the Capitol tech masters tried to fend off Beetee's attack. There was Cashmere, having won the battle in Three and celebrating. There was Kailani herself, dragging a civilian twice her size from Eleven through the battlefield as shots were fired around them. The tech crew in the Capitol were far too unprepared to even put up a fight against Beetee. However, that would not last for long and Beetee must have known that for he had an arsenal of five to ten second clips to work with. Everyone watched as the official presentation deteriorated into choice shots from the propos, enough for the people to know that the victors that had escaped were alive, that they were helping people, people that were flesh and blood just like they were. Enough to show to everyone, that what the Capitol said, were just more lies. Cheers rang around the room, Plutarch spasmed with delight at their success. There were just a few, that were a little more reserved. Katniss, Haymitch, Finnick, Cashmere and Kailani. All victors, all well aware that while this was good for the rebellion, it was not good for those Snow had a hold of. There would be consequences for this, and no one else seemed to care about that at all. The Capitol seal was back up now, accompanied by a flat audio tone that stretched for almost twenty seconds before Snow and Peeta returned. The set was in turmoil, frantic words being exchanged. However, none of that stopped Snow. He ploughed on, saying that clearly the rebels were now attempting to disrupt the dissemination of information that they found incriminating, that truth and justice however, would reign.

Snow turned to Peeta, then. "Given the display shown by the rebel's this evening, do you have any parting thoughts for Katniss Everdeen?" he asked.

At the mention of her name, Peeta's face contorted in effort. His breath seemed to quicken, and his eyes flickered for just a moment. "Katniss… how do you think this will end? What will be left? No one is safe. Not in the Capitol. Not in the districts. And you… in Thirteen…" He inhaled sharply, as if fighting for air. His eyes widened, making him look crazed. "Dead by morning!"

"End it!" ordered Snow, from off camera. Beetee chose that moment to strike, throwing the whole thing into chaos by flashing a still shot of Katniss standing in front of the hospital at three-second intervals. But between the images, everyone still saw the action that played out on set. Peeta attempted to continue speaking, but then the camera was knocked to floor. All they could see were the pristine white tiles. There was a scuffle of boots, and then a sharp blow as Peeta cried out in pain.

The last thing they saw was his blood as it splattered across the tiles.

And then the screen went black.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 6:**

Cashmere watched as Katniss became white as a sheet, as the room descended into chaos and people yelled over one another. They wanted to know what it meant, was it a threat or was it all a ploy? What could _the boy_ possibly have meant? They were idiots, the lot of them.

"Shut up!" screamed Cashmere, and the room fell silent. That was right, they _should_ listen to her. "It's not that hard to figure out, Peeta was not threatening us, he was _warning_ us. Don't you see? We're about to be attacked, here in Thirteen, and you're all squabbling like fools."

"How would he have that information?"

"Why should we trust him?"

"How do you know?"

Cashmere had to take a deep breath to keep herself calm, there was no use trying to knock sense into them. She figured they wouldn't appreciate that all too much. Oh, how she would like to see their faces if she had a knife in her hand though. They wouldn't question her judgement then, would they? _Idiots_.

Haymitch growled in frustration. "Because they're beating him bloody as we speak, what more do you need?"

If this was all of a part of some Capitol plan, what reason would they have to punish Peeta? _None._ Haymitch gave Katniss a pointed look, and she finally seemed to shake herself from whatever dark thoughts she had been lost in. "They're right," she said, "I don't know where Peeta got the information, or if it's true but he believes it is. And they're-" Katniss broke off, a flicker of pain crossing her face. Cashmere knew how it felt, knowing that someone they loved was imprisoned there, being held against their will no doubt being hurt. If Peeta was that bad, she didn't even want to think about the others.

"You don't know him," continued Haymitch, looking directly at Coin. "We do. Get your people ready."

For someone that had just been told her base was about to be attacked, she didn't look all that concerned. Coin mulled over the words, tapping one finger lightly on the rim of the control board in front of her. No one said anything as she thought over their options, but as time wore on, the tapping became more and more annoying. Kailani's jaw had tightened, and every breath she took was overly controlled. Cashmere could feel the annoyance rolling off of her in waves. Her lack of sleep was not unknown and that made her mood particularly… sensitive. Though in this case, it was fair. _Tap, tap, tap_.

"Of course, we have prepared for such a scenario," said Coin, finally. "Although we have decades of support for the assumption that further direct attacks on Thirteen would be counterproductive to the Capitol's cause. Nuclear missiles would release radiation into the atmosphere, with incalculable environmental results. Even routine bombing could badly damage our military compound, which we know they hope to regain. And, of course, they invite a counterstrike. It is conceivable that, given our current alliance with the rebels, those would be viewed as acceptable risks."

"You think so?" said Haymitch, sarcastically.

Coin either didn't realise, or decided to ignore him. "I do," she said. "At any rate, we're overdue for a Level Five security drill. Let's proceed with the lockdown." It began almost immediately, and the sound of sirens pierced the air. Loud, fear-inducing, it was enough to make anyone panic. But this was District Thirteen, and they were far too used to this kind of thing for that. There had been a few drills in their time here, but nothing that compared to this. Boggs guided Katniss out of Command, expecting Cashmere, Kailani and Finnick all to follow. There would be some that remained there, Coin for one, but most were to move down into the bunkers with the rest of the population. Streams of people converged to form a river that flowed only one way, _down_. They descended, moving further and further beneath the ground. No one pushed or shoved, no one panicked or complained, they all moved in an orderly fashion. Cashmere was willing to bet they might have been a bit hastier if they knew what was really going on. They scan their schedules to ensure they're accounted for, and proceed to move to their assigned areas. It was all designed to correspond to whatever floor or rooms the people lived in. Which, Cashmere had just realised, meant for them, they'd all be in the same area. D- as in, Level D. It was one of the few levels that provided rooms for one-person only, and was out of the way enough that they would not be bothered. They weren't members of District Thirteen, there was no need to pretend otherwise. There was only one level above them which had just one compartment, that was where Katniss and her family had been moved too. Normally, these drills would not be a problem. Finnick had yet to come to one, having either not been bothered enough or just having slept through the entire thing. They had all been low-level drills though, nothing too important. This time, he had no choice. Despite living in separate compartments, their areas seemed to have been pushed together to conserve space. They weren't as cramped as others, but they were also a lot closer than they ought to have been. Their little space in the corner consisted of three beds (looking around, she supposed she should have been glad enough with that), two on one wall, and the other across from them, as well as a small box for storage. Kailani glared fiercely at the instructions supplied to them, and Finnick cleared his throat, uncomfortably.

"I'll, uh, go get us our packs from the Supply Station," he said.

"Thanks, Finnick," said Cashmere. That was about it, that was basically all that they had to do. Collect their packs, set up their living space and then… wait for further instructions or in other words, hope for the best because this was no drill. "Well then, pick a bed Kailani."

"I don't know, I don't care," she said, grumpily.

Cashmere raised an eyebrow, "You don't care? Let me make it simple for you then, would you rather be above Finnick, below Finnick, or across from Finnick where he can stare at you and you can stare at him but it's the furthest away you're going to get?"

Her carefully constructed façade crumbled slightly, the pain showing through. Cashmere sometimes forgot how truly hard all of this was for her, she was too good an actress. Kailani took a breath though, and the emotion was gone again. "Why are we even in the same area? It's ridiculous."

"Not many people stay on our level, Kailani. Plutarch and Fulvia are there, Haymitch too but they'll all be in Command probably. They need all the space they can get, bunkers aren't meant to be comfortable they're just meant to keep you alive."

Kailani rolled her eyes, but did not look away from the beds they'd been given. She looked like she was waging war with herself, trying to decide which bed would be the safest. Because that was why she did everything she did, to keep herself safe. With Johanna in the Capitol, Cashmere was really the only other person that Kailani had been willing to turn to. Not that she gave away too much, sometimes though, sometimes she would feel like sharing a bit extra. Finnick came back, then. There were three packs all of them filled with the essentials, a thin mattress, bedding, clothes, a toothbrush, a torch, everything you would expect in your we're-about-to-be-bombed survival kit. In the end, Kailani chose the bed that was furthest away. Apparently not even the temptation of being unable to see him, was enough to force Kailani to be that close to Finnick. For her own amusement, Cashmere took the bed on top. She had given Kailani the choice, now she could have Finnick directly across from her. She couldn't avoid him in here, and he would finally see the extent of the damage he'd done. Setting up her bunk and lying on top of it, she smiled. Cashmere understood why Finnick had become depressed, why Kailani had become cold and distant, and normally, she preferred not to interfere with their relationship because normally, there was no point. However, if something presented itself, she sure as hell wasn't going to let that pass. Those two were made for each other, everyone knew it. They had a lot more work to do now, it was so much harder, but that didn't make it any less worth it. Finnick and Kailani just had to see that for themselves. Gloss would have agreed with her. No matter what he'd felt in the end, he knew it would always be Finnick that Kailani chose, and he had accepted that. But at the moment, Kailani was content to run and hide as Finnick was content to dwell on what had already happened, what couldn't be changed. They were trapped underground, all of them in the tiniest living space possible under the threat of being blown to pieces, this was the time for them to talk. Maybe that was all they needed, just that little push.

Then again, maybe she was being too optimistic.

Immediately, Kailani made her bed and sat back on it, facing the wall. Yet another rejection made Finnick slump and Cashmere ran a hand over her face. Deep breaths, in and out, _in and out_. The faint sound of the sirens cut off sharply, and Coin's voice came over the audio system. Nothing of too much interest, just thanking the people for their exemplary effort, stressing that this was not a drill but that information from Peeta Mellark warned of an attack. That was when it happened, that was when the first bomb hit. Fear rippled through the bunker like a wave. There was the initial impact, and then the explosion itself. The lights flickered, and the room gave a slight shudder but other than that, nothing. Despite herself, Kailani glanced around.

"They're using bunker missiles," she pointed out.

"There was no point using anything else," said Cashmere, with a shrug. "They know we're underground, anything less would just be a waste."

"Peeta saved us," murmured Finnick. The two women looked at him, and with more awkwardness than Cashmere was used too from Finnick Odair, he met their gazes. "Thirteen wouldn't have been able to evacuate in time if it hadn't been for his warning, right?"

Cashmere turned to Kailani, and she sighed. "No," she said. Her voice was neither cold nor warm, just tired. "By time the trackers would have picked the missiles up it would have been too late, a lot of people would have died."

"He's not completely broken, then."

"_Not yet_."

Finnick looked like he wanted to keep talking, this was probably the most that he and Kailani had exchanged in a long time. At least, the most that wasn't arguments and cold words. However, Coin's voice cut him off. "Apparently, Peeta Mellark's information was sound and we owe him a great debt of gratitude," she said. Cashmere had the sudden urge to yell _'I told you so'_. None of them believed that Peeta and the others were on their side, they may as well have been a part of the enemy. Well, they were all wrong. "Sensors indicate the first missile was not nuclear, but very powerful. We expect more will follow. For the duration of the attack, citizens are to stay in their assigned areas unless otherwise notified."

"Fantastic," said Kailani, sarcastically.

"Looks like we're going to be stuck together for a few days," said Cashmere, brightly. "This will be fun." Finnick sighed, as Kailani gave her the finger and retreated underneath a blanket. Oh yes, this was going to be so much fun. Cashmere wished she hadn't used those last pain killers that she'd had in her pocket the other day, she could feel a headache coming on. One of many, she expected. Finnick pulled out a rope and laid down sideways on his bed. All his attention was on the rope as he tied it, untied it, tied it, untied it. She wondered if it was a method to calm him when his thoughts became too much, or whether it was merely something to distract him. Cashmere didn't bother to ask though.

Hours went by, and just when everyone seemed to calm, when the population thought that the worst was over, another bomb was dropped. It was big, Cashmere could feel the whole bunker shake a little harder this time. Still, it remained strong. The lights switched off, and they were all plunged into darkness. Some screamed, and the terrified cries of children could be heard above all the rest. It didn't take long for the generator to kick in though, and a dim glow from all the safety lights to flicker to life. Cashmere stared at the roof, at the shadows that danced from the wavering lights. It was ironic that the Capitol was trying to break them now, when for the past few weeks, that's what they had been doing to her brother. She missed Gloss, she missed him so much. He was her brother, _her only brother_. They were the only brother-sister duo to win back to back games, they mentored together, they fought together and the idiot had to go and make sure that if he couldn't get out, she would. That wasn't what they had agreed on! She knew that was what he'd try and do, that was why she made him promise that they would think of something else, _anything else_. She had Kailani to thank that they were even alive, if not for her they would have had no idea about any of this and gone in there to win. Because if Katniss and Peeta could make it out the year before, then they sure as hell could do the same that year. It hadn't come down to that though. Neither she nor Gloss really knew what was going on, but they did know that it was something. That hope, that glimmer of hope was enough. It had been a huge risk on Kailani's part, they could have ruined everything but she wasn't willing to let them die without a chance. Cashmere owed her everything for that. She had been an acquaintance before, but she was a friend now. Cashmere tried to help her, tried to slowly pay her back for what she did but she was almost impossible to get through too. She _tried_ though, she really did. For Kailani, and for Gloss who would have damn well tried his hardest too. Well, he would have tried in his own way. Cashmere had the feeling he would have spent more time trying to rile Finnick up, then he would have actually trying to help Kailani. Johanna without a doubt would have been the same, if not more violent. She was one scary bitch, but she had every right to be. Snow had killed her entire family, all she had left were the few friends she'd managed to make amongst the victors, Kailani being top of them all. For a split second, Cashmere had almost thought that Johanna would kill Finnick for what he'd done in the jungle. She was sure the thought had crossed her mind, but she hadn't. She had held back and gone after Kailani instead. If that didn't say friendship where Johanna was involved, then nothing would. In the dark with nothing to do but think, Cashmere couldn't help but imagine what they were all like now. There were no distractions down here, and she _saw_ what Peeta looked like now. They needed him more than anyone else, yet that didn't stop the Capitol from torturing him. What did that say for her brother? For Johanna and everyone else they had captured? Nothing good. She wished another bomb would drop so that her mind could be distracted, but Cashmere had no such luck. Plutarch, Haymitch, they both got to remain in Command, why couldn't she? She had done more for this war than any one of them, how come they were privileged enough to stay where the action was?

Of course, deep down, she knew exactly why. She and Kailani, Finnick, Katniss, they were much too important to be killed if something went wrong.

In three days, four more bombs were dropped onto Thirteen. All of them bunker missiles, all of them doing almost no damage at all. It kept them in lockdown, but it didn't destroy that which the Capitol wanted to regain either. It did the one thing it was always meant to do, stop them from fighting the war. That was fine though, they couldn't keep this up forever. Cashmere was trying to stay positive, there was no point getting pissed off about it. The schedule was strict, but then again it always had been. Food, bathing, exercise and then sleep. They were allotted a small amount of time for socialising, but that hardly applied to any of them. If Cashmere had thought the time together would do them good, she was wrong. Poor Finnick was in a right state, constantly agitated as Kailani ignored him to the best of her ability. He'd tried to talk to her alone once, in the middle of the night when he probably thought she was asleep. She hadn't been. Kailani must have accidently fallen asleep herself before she woke with a gasp, her breaths coming hard and heavy. It sounded like she'd been having a panic attack, maybe she had been. Cashmere knew she didn't like to sleep, she had no idea how bad it was if she did. Finnick did though, and he had made the mistake of trying to comfort her. That had only made things worse, she scrambled away from him so fast that Cashmere was worried she would go and hurt herself. Finnick didn't need to ask what it was she had dreamed of, it was obvious, and since then he had barely been able to even look at her. Not that Kailani minded, she had been especially cold since then and no one dared try and start a conversation with her. Where Finnick took to sleeping all the time, Kailani adamantly did not. She sat up, back straight, glaring at whatever had the misfortune of crossing her path. If Finnick cried, neither of them took notice. It was only fair, that was the unspoken rule between them. All of them worked better when they had their space, it meant that for a little while, they didn't have to hide but being trapped down in the bunker, that made it hard. It would be over soon though, it had to be.

It was on the third night, that the three of them received a visitor. Cashmere leaned down over the side of her bunk to see Katniss, anxious and uncomfortable. She wrung her hands together, as it was Finnick who broke the silence.

"Hello, Katniss," he said, quietly. It was the middle of the night, and while _they_ had failed to find any sleep that night, most of the population had. "You know, I'm not sure visiting is allowed at this time."

"Even for the Mockingjay," added Cashmere. She climbed down the rickety ladder installed into the wall, and raised an eyebrow. "To what do we owe the pleasure?" Kailani eyed her, sitting cross legged on her bed as she had been all night.

Katniss shuffled, her eyes falling to the ground. She took a deep breath and then met all of their gazes. "I realised something. I realised what Snow was trying to do and I thought if anyone here would understand, it would be you guys," she said. For the first time, Cashmere realised how young she really was. Katniss had only won her Hunger Games a little over a year ago, that was nothing in this world. She may have been the symbol of their rebellion, of a future not under Capitol control, but she was still just a girl. A girl that was almost a woman but not quite, a girl that was as lost as the rest of them.

Cashmere sighed, "Go on then girl on fire, enlighten us," she said, sitting down on Finnick's bed as he put away his rope and straightened up slightly. He was the only one of all of them that looked at Katniss as if he actually cared, as if she had all of his attention. Cashmere couldn't help but look at her with something akin to boredom, it was just habit and Kailani, well, she had her usual mask up.

"I- I think Snow is using Peeta to try and break me. No, I know that's what he is doing. Peeta being tortured to gather information is bad enough, but torturing him, to incapacitate me, is _so much worse_." Her voice shook slightly, and Cashmere really did have to put up an effort to keep her face from showing anything this time. "Snow is hurting Peeta, because it is the only way he knows that can hurt me all the way here in Thirteen." Katniss stared at them. Cashmere, Finnick, Kailani, and the realisation crossed her face. She finally understood. "This is what they're doing with all of you, isn't it?"

"Well, they didn't arrest Annie because she's a wealth of information," said Finnick.

"She is leverage," said Kailani. "You would think that given what happened in the Games they might have left her alone, but apparently not. I lied for her for years, and they know Finnick well enough that capturing Annie could still be seen as useful. Not to mention that they had every chance to kill my mother but decided to take her instead." A frown graced her face, the most emotion they'd seen from her for days.

"Snow is a smart man, he knows how to get what he wants," explained Cashmere. "I wouldn't be surprised if they hadn't tortured Enobaria at all, simply to remain on good terms with Two and he would _know_, that Gloss had no useful information. He saw how we acted, any intelligent human would be able to tell that my brother and I weren't in on any kind of plan."

"I'm so sorry," said Katniss, shaking her head.

"We should have warned you," said Finnick. "Each and every one of us knew what we risked. Well, barring Cashmere and Gloss but they've done this before, they know the deal. It's the same thing every year, do as you're told, or risk everything and everyone you love. He uses them to control us, and he can use them to break us too."

Her eyes widened. "You did warn me though, on the hovercraft. Only when you said they'd use Peeta against me, I thought you meant like bait. To lure me into the Capitol somehow."

"I shouldn't even have said that," grumbled Finnick. He picked up his rope again, and began to tug the knots undone. "It was too late for it to be of any help to you. Since I hadn't warned you before the Quarter Quell, I should've shut up about how Snow operates. It's just that I didn't understand when I met you. After your first Games, I thought the whole romance was an act on your part. We all expected you'd continue that strategy but it wasn't until Peeta hit the force field and nearly died that I-" He hesitated, glancing at Cashmere and Kailani. Finnick knew that they understood, they were both a part of that group that assumed their love had all been an act. It wouldn't have been the first time that they had seen it, that tributes had tried to use that to their advantage to gain sponsors but he was right, she saw their relationship for what it was: _real_.

"That you what?" pushed Katniss.

"That I knew I'd misjudged you," said Finnick. "That you do love him. I'm not saying in what way, maybe you don't know yourself but anyone paying attention could see how much you care about him," he said, gently.

"You're kidding me, right?" said Cashmere, incredulous. Kailani's head snapped to look at her, her eyes filled with warning. The irony of his words was just so ridiculous, so _unbelievably_ ridiculous. Katniss glanced between them, no doubt even she knew what she meant and she barely even knew the two idiots. "This coming from you, of all people?"

"Finnick's right," snapped Kailani. "We misjudged her, let's just let it drop." Finnick glanced at her, not in surprise that she had agreed with him but with… something else. Cashmere barely even noticed though, she was holding gaze with Kailani. She knew what she was trying to do. She wanted this conversation to be over, and fast. She wanted it to be over so badly that she would even side with Finnick.

"Oh, but I don't want to let it drop."

"Cashmere…" Kailani's eyes narrowed, dangerously. Cashmere almost laughed, what was she going to do? There were no weapons down in the bunker for her to claim, and even if they were, all that would mean was that she had weapons of her own too if it came down to it.

Suddenly, Katniss broke in. "How do you bear it?" she asked. Relief crossed Kailani's face, and then, she chuckled.

"How do we bear it?" she said, amused. "Katniss, does it really look like any of us, are bearing this well? I haven't slept properly in _weeks_. To get anything at all substantial, I take way more sleeping pills then are healthy. I know that, unfortunately it is nothing new for me but… it's better than the nightmares."

Cashmere was no better, she worked herself to the point of exhaustion every evening. She would do any exercises she could _for hours_, just to convince her body that she was tired. Either that, or she would find someone to take her mind off of it all. She wasn't proud of it, but there was little else to entertain her in Thirteen. And Finnick, he was constantly in a state of exhaustion. The weight of his emotions, of his guilt, of everything just pushed him down where most days, he wouldn't even bother getting out of bed. The nightmares plagued him as much as anyone else, but there was no escape from it so he figured, he may as well just not bother. Some days he would wander the base, but it tended to do more harm than good. He would eat and sleep, that was about all. Katniss seemed to realise that, there was a look of utter hopelessness on her face and Finnick sighed.

"Better not to give in to it," he advised. After all, that was what he had done and he barely even functioned these days. "It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart." Finnick handed her his rope. "The more you can distract yourself, the better. First thing tomorrow, we'll get you your own rope. Until then, take mine."

"But don't you need this?" she asked.

He smiled, slightly. "I'll manage."

"Go on," ushered Cashmere. "Go back to bed before someone at Thirteen has a whinge at us."

Katniss nodded, the rope twisted in her hands. "Thanks, for the rope, for listening," she said, before creeping back in the direction of her assigned area.

It took twenty-four hours of quiet, before Coin finally announced that they could all leave the bunker. The bombings had destroyed their old quarters, but there were others and it was ordered that everyone followed exact instructions to reach their new compartments. They were about halfway there, Gale and Katniss in tow, when they were stopped by Boggs. He signalled for all five of them to join him, and led the way down to Special Defence. Nothing was damaged along their route, but that was no surprise, they were still fairly deep underground. Boggs ushered then into a room identical to Command, this was where they located too in such events as it was deep enough underground to avoid damage. Coin, Plutarch, Haymitch, Cressida and everybody else around the table looked exhausted, but that earned them no sympathy with Cashmere. This was where she should have been, she and Kailani. Someone had even broken out the coffee, Cashmere didn't even know they _had_ coffee in Thirteen.

"We need all six of you suited up and over ground," said the president, not even bothering with small talk. "You have two hours to get footage showing the damage from the bombing, establish that Thirteen's military unit remains not only functional but dominant, and most important, that the Mockingjay is still alive. Any questions?"

"Can we have a coffee?" asked Finnick. Cashmere smirked, she had never been gladder that he was _not_ curled up in his bed, depressed. Steaming cups of coffee are handed out to all of them, and she sipped at it. It was awful, probably the worst coffee that she had ever tasted, it was better than nothing though. A glimmer of the old Finnick appeared then, sauntering over to Katniss and offering her a sugar cube. She remembered seeing him do that before the ceremony. She remembered because she'd been glaring at Katniss from the moment she had stepped into the room. Gale eyed the pair, unhappily.

"Oh, there's no need of that," she said, sidling up next to him. Gale spared her a glance, and his frown deepened.

"No need for what?" he grumbled.

Cashmere laughed, "For the jealousy. You really think there's something going on between them? Do you know nothing?"

"I'm not jealous." His voice may as well have been a growl, but Cashmere was unconcerned.

"They are _friends_, and they have both been through a lot. Let Finnick have one person to speak to that will not judge him."

"Can't you do that?"

"Oh no, I absolutely judge him," said Cashmere, without hesitation. "He almost killed his best friend, my brother's kind-of girlfriend. Finnick is an idiot and a fool, he has no idea what he could have if he just let himself and I think a part of him knows that I know that. Besides, I spend too much time with Kailani and she avoids him at all costs so I'm not much help." She met his gaze. "Don't be that guy that gets jealous of every man that goes near his girl. Though, personally, I think you should move on. No one can compare to Peeta, not even you." Cashmere shrugged. "Sorry."

They each pulled on their gear, and loaded their weapons. It felt good to be able to hold a knife again, there had been nothing allowed down in the bunker. Cashmere had had no choice but to surrender all of her weapons, and she _hated_ that. She hadn't been without a knife on her person or at least, near her, in years. The brief time it took to travel to the arena, not included. It took just ten minutes for everyone to be ready, and on their way. With a number of pathways blocked, it took a bit longer than usual to reach the surface but after one final climb up a ladder, they made it. The fresh air filled her lungs, and Cashmere breathed it in, deeply. This was so much better than the bunker, if they hadn't been in such a rush she might have enjoyed it more. They had definitely taken a path not often used, it had brought them up in the forest, rather than anywhere closer.

"What day is it?" asked Katniss. She reached up to touch the leaves in the trees that had just begun to turn in the cooler weather.

"September starts next week," said Boggs.

They had been here for almost six weeks, then. Six long weeks. Debris began to litter the forest floor the closer they came to the base. Torn metal, entire sheets of steel and then, craters. The first one they came across was at least thirty metres wide and so deep that Cashmere can't even tell where it ends.

"Anyone on the first ten levels most likely would have been killed," commented Boggs, as they skirted around the pit and kept moving.

"Can you rebuild it?" asked Gale.

"Not anytime soon. That one didn't get much, a few backup generators and a poultry farm," he said, "We'll just seal it off."

The trees disappeared as they passed the boundary fence, and craters were filled with a mixture of new and old rubble. Most of Thirteen was underground anyway, surface damage didn't matter. It was the damage the bombings did below that had always been the concern.

"How much of an edge did the boy's warning give you?" asked Haymitch.

"About ten minutes before our own systems would've detected the missiles," answered Boggs.

"But it did help, right?" questioned Katniss.

"Absolutely. Civilian evacuation was complete and seconds count when you're under attack. Ten minutes meant lives were saved."

There was no doubt that they would have struggled to get everyone into the bunker in time if Peeta hadn't warned them. Cressida decided she wanted to film Katniss in front of the ruins of the old Justice Building, which was something of a joke given that the Capitol's been using it as a backdrop for fake news broadcasts for years. There was something out of place amongst the rubble and destruction though, something that certainly didn't belong. Flowers, roses to be more specific. Snow always did have a favourite, as Katniss yelled at everyone not to touch them. They were a gift for her, and she knew it. She'd seen this before, there had been a rose in Twelve, and these ones, these long-stemmed pink and red beauties were the same flowers that decorated the set where she and Peeta had performed their post-victory interview. Cashmere could see some, like Gale, that were sceptical. She wasn't though, this was exactly something that Snow would do. He wanted Katniss to break, and the roses that he had left for her this time, were not meant for one but for lovers. He was throwing Peeta in her face once more, reminding her of the cost of what she did. If she tried to hide the effect they had on her, she did a terrible job. Her breaths came out quick, and her entire body was shaking.

"So, what exactly do you need from me again?" asked Katniss.

"Just a few quick lines that show you're alive and still fighting," said Cressida.

"We were so far underground this time, there was no real danger," she began. "Thirteen's alive and well, and so am-" Her voice cut off with on odd squeaking sound.

"Try the line again. 'Thirteen's alive and well and so am I'." But Cashmere doubted Katniss' ability to do that right now, she glanced at Kailani who was eyeing the girl with something akin to understanding.

Katniss though, took a deep breath. "Thirteen's alive and so-" Again, she stopped.

"Katniss just this one line and you're done today. I promise," said Cressida. "'Thirteen's alive and well, and so am I.'"

She tried to loosen herself up, tried to do anything she could just to get the line out but instead, she started crying. Cashmere sighed, she understood exactly what doing all of this meant for Peeta now. It was too much, it was too hard.

"Cut," murmured Cressida.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Plutarch, under his breath.

"She's figured out how Snow is using Peeta," said Finnick.

There was something of a collective sigh of regret from the group, and Katniss' cries turn to sobs. Gale tried to comfort her, a number of others too but the only person she wanted at that moment, was Haymitch. Not who Cashmere would choose, but hey, that was just her.

"It's okay, it'll be okay, sweetheart," he said, guiding Katniss to a broken marble pillar, sitting her down.

Would it be okay though? Really? None of this was ever going to be okay, and there was no way Katniss could function as the Mockingjay if she was too concerned for Peeta.

"You know what we're going to have to do, don't you?" whispered Cashmere, ensuring that only Kailani heard what she said.

Kailani didn't even spare her a glance, just watched Plutarch as he discreetly pulled out a needle. "I do," she said, quietly. Given that they worked with Katniss, they each had a needle of sedatives on their person. Whether it was for cases like this, or some other reason.

"I can't do this anymore," said Katniss, shaking her head.

"I know," said Haymitch.

"All I can think of is- what he's going to do to Peeta- because I'm the Mockingjay!" she choked out.

"_I know_."

"Did you see? How weird he acted? What are they- doing to him?" Katniss gasped for air, barely able to pull her sentences together. "It's my fault!" That was when Plutarch moved, and pushed the needle into her arm. Katniss' eyes fought to stay open, but that didn't last long. She fell forward, and Haymitch caught her smoothly.

"Was that really necessary?" asked Finnick. "She's upset and she has every right to be! Everything she does could go back onto Peeta and you all knew that, and didn't stop her. She was always going to find out eventually!"

"It would only make her feel worse," said Kailani, "If we want to win this war then we need our Mockingjay to be functioning. You know that, even you didn't want to tell her about Peeta."

"Because it wouldn't help her, wouldn't help _them_! Not because I wanted her to be able to _do her job_." His voice grew in volume. "Who even are you anymore? You would have been one of the first people who wanted to do what was right and now- you've changed!"

"Finnick…" started Cashmere but he waved her off.

"No! I know it's my fault, _I know that!_ But she's just a girl for fuck's sake, give her a break. You don't need to knock her out whenever she bloody steps out of line! Hell, we should all be like her! You think I lie in bed for the fun of it, I do it because I don't know what else _I can_ do. I don't want to go out there and have my actions cause Annie to be hurt, because she doesn't deserve Snow to hurt her. I get that she's not quite as out of it and innocent as I thought she was, but she sure as hell doesn't deserve to be tortured for it!"

"I never said she did," said Kailani, coldly. "Is that what you think of me now? That I just don't care about any of them. That I don't care if any of them get hurt, of course I do-"

"THEN WHY DON'T YOU EVER SHOW IT!" His voice broke, and Finnick stared at Kailani heartbreakingly. "It's not just Annie, I can't bring myself to get up because I'm terrified that if I do I'll hurt you again, because that's all I seem to do lately, right?" He laughed, almost manically. "Isn't it ironic that Snow has all these people to hurt us, and yet we're doing the better job of it ourselves." Kailani glanced at Boggs, and he moved towards Finnick. "Most of my nightmares are of me killing you, it haunts me _constantly_."

Kailani shook her head, "You think you're the only one?" she hissed.

Finnick choked, the tears filling his eyes. "I'm sorry, I swear I am. I didn't know what I was doing, I still don't get it, I really don't! Please, please 'Lani-" She flinched, and Boggs chose that moment to sink the needle into his arm. Finnick barely even noticed, all of his concentration focused solely on Kailani. His voice became weaker, quieter. "Please, _I'm sorry_." And then he collapsed, falling into unconsciousness. Cashmere wanted to say something, wanted to break the uncomfortable silence that had overtaken them but before she could, Kailani spun around. She moved so fast that Cashmere didn't realise what was going on until it had already happened, and Kailani pulled the needle from her neck.

"What are you-" She stumbled, her body becoming heavy. Someone held her up, she didn't know who though. Her vision blurred, and the edges became dark. The last thing she registered, was someone talking.

"I've had enough of this, it's time to get them back, all of them. _Now_."

Kailani.

That bitch was going to do this without her.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I'm sorry I'm so slow, I try not to be, honestly. I'm still so angry that my paragraphs throughout this story are all squashed together, it kind of makes reading the different perspectives a pain in the butt, but I'm lazy and don't want to go back and fix them all. I'm sorry, _again_. UPDATE - I'm gonna fix the paragraph problems cause it's annoying me. **

**CHAPTER 7:**

Beetee eyed her, she could feel his gaze as she tested the grip of her spear. Her team, she would be leading this mission alongside Boggs, were all gathering what they needed, arming themselves with anything and everything. Kailani had some knives strapped to her belt, a machine gun slung over her shoulder, but all she would really need was her spear. The blades were sharp on each end, and it felt good, it felt natural.

"Kailani…" started Beetee.

She sighed, deeply. "I'm going Beetee, nothing you can say is going to stop that." If either of them thought that Coin would object to her going on the mission, then she hadn't. The president was not at all pleased that it had come to this, but she knew that if they didn't try, chances of Katniss being able to do her job were minimal at best. Cashmere would still be here, perhaps she considered Kailani to be an acceptable sacrifice in the big scheme of things. Besides, they needed the victors to trust their rescuers, they didn't need any complications in retrieval, having Kailani there would only help with that.

"It's a suicide mission," he argued, shaking his head. "You'll be killed, _or worse_. If the Capitol know that you are there, they will no doubt want you captured. You're second in value only to Katniss, you have too much information and sway with the districts, Kailani!"

"It doesn't matter."

"It does! And what about Finnick, if the Capitol capture _you_, then he will be even worse."

They wouldn't capture her, she would be dead before she let that happen. "I'm _going_, Beetee." Kailani pressed a button on her spear, and the entire thing folded in on itself, allowing her to slide it into her belt as well. That was one design aspect that she had been particularly impressed with, carrying a spear around was not suited for stealth purposes.

Beetee stared at her, pleadingly. "Please, reconsider this."

Kailani met his gaze, and smiled, sadly. "I have to do this, I just do, I'm sorry."

He sighed, before finally, he nodded his head. "Be careful."

* * *

Whatever they had been given, it must have been strong because it took Katniss a full day before she woke up, before she emerged from a world of haunted dreams and a suffocating sense of loneliness. Thoughts of Peeta entered her mind, and almost immediately, she began to tremble again.

Haymitch reached out and squeezed her shoulder, "It's all right. We're going to try to get Peeta out," he said.

"What?" That made no sense, none at all.

"Plutarch's agreed to send in a rescue team, he has people on the inside. He thinks we can get Peeta back alive."

"Why didn't we before?"

"Because it's costly. Kailani argued that if they could get Peeta and the others back though, that it would be worth the cost and I think everyone agrees with her. It's the same choice we made in the arena, to do whatever it takes to keep you going. We can't lose the Mockingjay now. And you can't perform unless you know Snow can't take it out on Peeta." Haymitch offered her a cup. "Here, drink something."

Katniss pushed herself up, and took a slow sip of water. "What do you mean, costly?" she asked.

Haymitch shrugged. "Covers will be blown, people may die. But keep in mind that they're dying every day and it's not just Peeta, we're getting all of them out. Annie, Johanna, Gloss."

"Enobaria?"

"If she's still there, then yes. Mags too if she is alive, but chances of that are slim."

"You said Kailani argued for it, is she…?"

He frowned, then. "Yes."

"Cashmere, Finnick?"

"Both of them were knocked out after you were. Finnick lost it after you were sedated, yelling at Kailani, pleading with her, you can imagine it. Cashmere was just a decision that Kailani decided to make for herself, I doubt she'll be pleased when she wakes up. They both knew that Plutarch had contacts in the Capitol, if it came to it they were both prepared to go in and do what had to be done."

She couldn't say that she knew Cashmere all that well, but Katniss could definitely see her being angry at being left behind, especially when Snow had her brother. And Finnick, well, they might need more sedatives. "Where are they?"

"Behind that screen, sleeping the sedatives off." He chuckled, slightly. "Yeah, it was a really excellent shoot, a huge success." Katniss cracked a smile. "Kailani and Boggs left to arrange the mission to get Peeta straight after."

"Well, if they're leading it then that's a plus."

"Oh, they're top of it. Boggs has more skill in leadership, but Kailani is without a doubt the more skilled fighter, that and she knows the Capitol better as well as the contacts. Don't forget, she's been dealing in politics for years, she's worked with these people before. Hell, even nudged a few of them to our side," explained Haymitch. "The mission was volunteer only, Boggs pretended not to notice me waving my hand in the air, clearly the man has good judgement."

Something was off, Katniss could feel it. Haymitch was being a little too nice and cheery, a little too forthcoming and willing to share. He was trying way too hard to cheer her up and that really wasn't his style. "So, who else volunteered?"

"I think there were seven altogether," he said, evasively.

She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Who else, Haymitch?" she said, insistently.

Haymitch finally dropped the good-natured act and gave her a long look. "You know who else, Katniss. You know who stepped up first." Of course she did. _Gale_.

Katniss tried to imagine a world where both Gale's and Peeta's voices ceased to exist, where their hands had stilled and their bodies had gone cold. She couldn't, she couldn't do it. All there was, was a tremendous void, a pale grey nothingness that represented her future. Nothing, there was nothing.

"Do you want me to have them sedate you until it's over?" asked Haymitch, and he wasn't joking either. This was a man that had spent his adult life at the bottom of a bottle, trying to anaesthetize himself from the Capitol's crimes.

"No," said Katniss. "I want to go to the Capitol, I want to be a part of the rescue mission."

"They're gone," he said.

"How long ago did they leave? I could catch up, I could-"

Haymitch shook his head. "It'll never happen. You're too valuable and too vulnerable-"

"But Kailani-"

"Is not the Mockingjay. There was talk of sending you to another district to divert the Capitol's attention while the rescue takes place, but no one felt you could handle it."

"Please, Haymitch!" Katniss was begging him now. "I have to do something, I can't just sit here waiting to hear if they died. There must be something I can do!"

"All right, let me talk to Plutarch. You stay put." But she doesn't, she can't. Katniss could still hear Haymitch's footsteps echoing in the hall as she stumbled through the separating curtains and shook both Finnick and Cashmere awake. She couldn't stand to go through this by herself.

"Where is she?" said Cashmere, immediately. She sat up, her face tired, but her blue eyes surprisingly alert.

Katniss shook her head, "Gone."

Her face twisted into a scowl, "That stupid cow, _that stupid cow!_" Cashmere picked up a glass and threw it across the room. It shattered, and Finnick stared at her wide-eyed.

"Cash, what-"

"Don't you even _start_ with me right now, Finnick Odair."

Katniss sighed, "Kailani is leading a mission to get Peeta, and the others, back. Volunteer only, they left a few hours ago."

Finnick went a strange kind of pale green. "But that's… its suicide, it's too dangerous!"

"Which is exactly why we didn't do it before," spat out Cashmere. "_We_, the both of us, said we would do it without hesitation, if it proved helpful to the cause. And keeping Katniss from flipping the fuck out, seemed like it would be helpful. Of course, Kailani decided to go and do it herself, and leave me behind. Best case scenario, mission is a success and everyone comes back alive. Worst case scenario, they're killed and so are Snow's hostages. Which was always an okay outcome as well, because it meant that they didn't have to suffer and Snow couldn't use them against us but Kailani is just being selfish. I'll bet everything I own, that she is half-hoping she is killed in there."

Finnick moaned, "Don't say that."

"But it's _the truth_, Finnick. She is fucking exhausted, she is done with all of it, this can only go well for her. Me not being there to keep her from being a total dumbass, is exactly what she wants."

"Gloss wouldn't want you on that mission anyway," he muttered.

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT."

The curtain was yanked back, and there was Haymitch. "I see everyone's awake," he said. Cashmere shot him a dirty look, but he ignored it. "If you want to be helpful, then there is something you can do. We still need post-bombing footage of Thirteen. If we get it in the next few hours, Beetee can air it leading up to the rescues and maybe keep the Capitol's attention elsewhere."

"Yes, a distraction," said Finnick. "A decoy of sorts."

"What we really need is something so riveting that even President Snow won't be able to tear himself away. Got anything like that?" asked Haymitch.

Katniss wasn't sure it would work, but she did have something. An old story, of when she met Peeta. How he gave her bread and saved their lives. She talked about the Capitol, how she was finally free of it, how she could do whatever it took to destroy it. It was good, if not a little bit dazzling and it set the wheel's spinning in Plutarch's mind. He hastily called Finnick, Cashmere and Haymitch to one side and they have a brief, but intense conversation. Haymitch wasn't happy, and if possible, Cashmere looked even angrier but it didn't take long for Finnick to nod his head in agreed, his face still pale.

Cashmere groaned, "Fine!" she all but yelled.

Another seat was placed next to her own, and Finnick and Cashmere take their places in front of the camera. Katniss wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but whatever it was, it hadn't been _that_.

"President Snow uses his victors a number of different ways," began Cashmere, her eyes blazing. "Whether it be as an example to others, or a younger prettier version to spout of his beliefs. None of it is good, he controls us in every way he can, holds the people we love above our heads to make sure we _obey_."

"For us, and a number of others, President Snow used to… sell us, sell our bodies," said Finnick, in a flat, removed tone. "If a victor is considered desirable, the president gives them as a reward or allows people to buy them for an exorbitant amount of money. If you refuse, he kills someone you love."

"There is no choice," said Cashmere. "But you know, it is amazing how willing people are to share after a night together. Oh, we all collected our information, we all learned their deepest secrets. Whether we did it as payment, as Finnick did, or to give us some imaginary sense of control, as I did, _we all did it_."

"And this is where you're going to have to stay tuned, President Snow because so many of them were about you." Finnick smiled, too serenely to be real. "But let's begin with some of the others."

* * *

The lights went out, and Kailani nodded to Boggs. The knockout gas distributed throughout the ventilation system should have kicked in by now, a number of guards had already been diverted to the planted explosion a few blocks away. The less here, the better. It was a complicated plan, Kailani had to read over it a few times for the beauty of it to reveal itself. There was so much going on, that it would give them the chance to get in and then out as smoothly as possible. At least, that was the idea. Plutarch's contact had gotten them in, and while the gas had taken out a number of the enemy, it did not go so far as to reach the prison level. If their contacts were right though, there should only be three guards there to deal with. Most were kept on the upper levels, away from the prisoners but close enough to prevent some kind of escape. Boggs knocked open the door, and before the first guard could even think to shoot, there was an arrow in his neck. There were safety lights on down here, and Kailani was vaguely aware of movement in the cells, but she couldn't afford to be distracted. Another guard skidded around the corner, his gun pointed in front of him, but Kailani knocked it aside and slit open his throat. She could see the third one now, she needed only a spilt-second to take aim and let go. Her spear went through his chest, and he spluttered.

"Kailani?" The voice was weak, but she recognised it nonetheless.

Johanna.

She looked like hell, her head had been shaved and she was as thin as a rake. Bruises covered her entire body, and she couldn't seem to stop shaking but it was still her. "Hey there, Jojo," said Kailani, softly.

Johanna managed a weak smirk, "Don't call me that." She fell into a painful sounding coughing fit and Kailani winced.

"Come on, it's time to get out of here."

Someone grabbed her wrist, and she met the eyes of Gloss. Exhausted, but not broken. "My sister?" he asked, hoarsely.

"As if I would let her come near this place." He let out a relieved breath, and Kailani looked up at Boggs as he unlocked each of their cells, he already had Peeta. The boy looking much more worse for wear than when she had last seen him, and he couldn't even stand on his own. Gale was holding him up, and Kailani took that moment to take in their prison. It was cold and dark, and smelled awful. There had been no care for hygiene down here, that was a privilege that none of them had been welcome too it seemed.

"We don't have much time," said Boggs, glancing at his watch for the hundredth time.

Kailani got to her feet, looking to the others. "Help them, I'll be back." They had most of them. Enobaria couldn't be found, but she assumed that the Capitol had been kind and let her go. They would have been idiots to keep her prisoner with Two on the fence as to what side they wanted to be on. They were still with the Capitol for the time being. There was still one other that was missing though, Annie. Kailani didn't even bother to consider her mother, she had known all along that she would never have survived. It wasn't just her hoping for the best, it was fact. She was eighty-two, no matter how strong she was she could never have withstood such interrogation. Kailani couldn't afford to think about that now though, she had one thing on her mind and that was Annie. She pulled her spear from the body of the guard, and rounded the corner. It seemed they had wanted to keep her separate from the others, how unusually kind of them. She sat there, her red hair a sharp contrast to her room of padded white walls, her eyes glazed. Oh, how innocent and forgotten she looked. Kailani unlocked the door, and her head snapped up. Seeing her appeared to clear the fog in her mind, because her eyes widened.

"Kailani?" She hated how she almost felt bad for her at that moment.

"Get up, we're going," she said, firmly.

"Is this a trick? Is this some kind of hallucination? It is, of course it is." Annie laughed, and Kailani rolled her eyes. "I assure you, it's not. I'm sure the Capitol would have me being much nicer to you if it were."

"Maybe it's not the Capitol." There was that seriousness again, she knew that Kailani hadn't truly been her friend since the day she had walked in on her and another man. They didn't have time for this though, Kailani strode across the room and pulled her easily to her feet. Annie didn't even bother to struggle. Boggs had Johanna in his arms, as Gloss leaned heavily against one of their other volunteers.

"Ready?" asked Boggs.

Kailani nodded, "Let's go."

Honestly, she never thought it was going to be easy. Getting in was one thing, but getting out was an entirely different prospect. All they had to do was make it to the passageway though, and no one could touch them. It locked from the inside, if they made it there, and moved fast, they _should be fine_. That was the plan, but the stirring guards as they moved past them, told Kailani it would not be that simple. The power whirred back to life, and as soon as it did, alarms began to sound.

"Shit," muttered Boggs. "They got it back faster than we thought they would."

"We're not going to make it," said Johanna, a wild look in her eyes. Kailani glanced at her. She breathed heavily, and then winced. Kailani hated to think how many injuries she had, how much damage had been done internally. The ones they couldn't see were the most dangerous, she could be dying and they wouldn't even know it. They had to move quicker, any one of them could have something in their systems that wasn't supposed to be there and Kailani didn't want to come this far, just for all of them to drop dead on her. No, that was out of the question. Tucking her spear into her belt, she checked to make sure her gun was loaded and peered around the corner. There was nothing, _yet_. They must have been halfway there when she heard a howl, in the distance. No, not them, they couldn't send them. Annie whimpered, and Kailani shoved her forwards.

"Go, you have to move quicker," she urged.

"Any quicker and we're only going to hurt them," pointed out Gale.

Kailani shook her head, "It doesn't matter, knock them out if you have too. We have to move faster or else we're all going to meet an unpleasant end. They'll have our scent by now."

"They-?"

"_Mutts_."

"We're almost there," said Boggs, "Just pick the pace up!"

Kailani was at the back of the pack, as they ran. There were yells, and the sound of boots against the ground. They were closing in, guards and the mutts. Probably trained ones, just enough to know who the enemy was. She thought of the monkeys, how vicious they had been. If mutts had one similar trait, it was their viciousness, Kailani didn't particularly feel like being torn to pieces if she were being honest. Shots rang out, and Annie screamed as they all dived behind a wall. They were _so close_. Boggs handed Johanna off to one of the others, and began to fire.

"We just need to get past this group, we get past them and we're home free." A bullet grazed his arm and he hissed. "Gale, do you have any of those explosive arrows left?"

He nodded, "One."

"That's all we need."

"I'll cover him," said Kailani, "You get them to the passageway."

Boggs gave her a long look, "It should be the other way around."

"I can get back there faster than you, and you're stronger. You have to move the others along fast, this won't hold them for long." The look on his face told her that she was right. Kailani wouldn't have the strength to drag Gloss along, or even Peeta. She would be too slow, and that was something they couldn't afford right now.

With a sigh, he nodded. "Okay, but I don't want no heroics you get your ass to the passageway do you understand me?"

Kailani saluted, mockingly. "Yes, sir." She looked at Gale, as Boggs took Peeta from him. "You ready?"

He nocked his arrow, and took a deep breath. "Yes." In one swift movement Kailani stepped out from behind the wall, and opened fire. The sudden attack was distraction enough to allow Gale that second of time to take aim, and then shoot. The explosion ripped through the room, almost throwing them from their feet as debris fell from the roof. Boggs and the others had already started moving, the dust and smoke hiding them from view as they slipped out of sight. Kailani let out a breath of relief. There was a low growl from behind her, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. _Mutts_. Before she could even try and stop it, the dog-like animal threw itself at her and knocked her to the ground. Pain shot through her arm as its jaws took a hold of her, its fangs piercing her skin and tearing. Gale let off another arrow, and a burst of fire filled her vision before a knife was stuck into the creature's throat and Kailani was being pulled to her feet. Blood seeped through her sleeve, but that didn't matter, it could have been worse, it was just a flesh wound. Chancing a glance back, she saw that a number of mutts had either been caught behind the fire, or crushed by debris from the explosion. That wouldn't stop them though, there would be more she was sure of it and despite the knife it had in its throat, she wasn't all too sure the one that attacked her was dead either. They stumbled into an alcove, and then through the door that couldn't even be seen once it was closed. Boggs twisted the lock, and all of them, sighed.

"That was too close," he said.

Kailani wasn't about to disagree with him. She had never been gladder that Snow had had this escape route built into the Capitol, as she had been right then. Very few knew about it, however it just so happened that one of those few was on their side. He would have given his life to tell them this, Snow would figure out who had betrayed him and punish them accordingly, but it was for Katniss, it was to make sure she could keep going. Kailani expected that whoever it was that had given them their information, would be content with his choice.

"Come on, we have to keep going. They can still catch us, we need to make sure we're long gone before they ready their planes," said Kailani, clutching at her arm. There was a fair amount of blood, however it was nothing some stitches and a bandage couldn't fix.

They moved in silence, as the light at the end of the tunnel became brighter and brighter. Johanna had fallen unconscious, the strain of it being too much for her broken body. Peeta had a glazed look on his face, as Annie's eyes darted around and Gloss stumbled along. They were battered and bruised, but they were alive and that was all that mattered. Boggs ushered them onto the hovercraft, and quickly set off. It was not a smooth ride, with their pilot often taking sharp turns, doing anything she could to keep the Capitol off of their trail. They had enough of a lead on them though that they were all somewhat confident they had managed to escape relatively unscathed. It was a miracle really, considering what they had been tasked with, but everything went as well as it possibly could have. Honestly, Kailani had expected more of a fight from the Capitol.

* * *

"They're back." The words rolled around in his mind, over and over again. They were back, they had made it back. Finnick would have thought that Haymitch would look more relieved, had they managed to retrieve Peeta? What about the others? Was everyone okay? It was as if the old victor had read his mind. "We're wanted in the hospital."

No, that wasn't good. He wanted to go to Command, not the hospital. The hospital meant people had been hurt, maybe some of them hadn't even made it back. Katniss grabbed his hand and pulled him along, as Cashmere stalked ahead of them. Finnick couldn't decide whether he wanted to go or not, he was frozen. Katniss continued to drag him closer and closer to their destination though. Too much, this was all too much. He felt sick to his stomach, what if _she_ was dead. Finnick wasn't so foolish to believe that that was impossible, Kailani had volunteered for the mission, she knew what she was getting into. What if she had been killed ensuring the others got out? That seemed like something she would do. That way, she would get her rest and everyone would be safe. His stomach turned, and his heart began to beat faster. No, she couldn't be dead. Kailani wasn't allowed to die. The traitorous voice inside his head reminded him that he almost ensured that she did though. The hospital was in a complete uproar when they arrived, doctors were shouting orders and the wounded were being wheeled through the halls in their beds. They were sideswiped by a gurney, and Finnick's breath caught. _Johanna_. She was unconscious, and thin, so thin. Her usually strong, lean figure had wasted away so that he could see her bones sticking out, and her skin appeared stretched. Her head was shaved, bruises and oozing scabs marred her pale skin.

Cashmere swallowed thickly, and looked away. Finnick knew the moment she saw her, because it was the moment he did too. He was too absorbed in his relief that she was alive, that he didn't move in time to stop what happened next. Cashmere practically growled before she launched forward and threw a fist into Kailani's jaw. There was an audible crack and suddenly, Boggs was there holding her back as she yelled furiously and Kailani met her gaze undaunted. She had been knocked to the ground, and she held her jaw tenderly but she didn't look angry.

"I don't regret it, I would do it again and again," she said, as Cashmere tore herself from Boggs' tight grip and tried to regain some composure.

"That's because you're an idiot," she hissed, flexing the fingers in her hand. Finnick wondered if she'd broken it, it wouldn't have surprised, she certainly did not bother holding back. "What was your big plan, huh? Dying in there, making sure none of us could stop you?"

"Well, I'm not dead now."

"And you sound so fucking pleased about that!"

Kailani shrugged, indifferently. "I'm neither pleased nor displeased."

Finnick winced, but ignoring his better judgement, strode forward. "If it counts for anything, _I'm_ glad you're not dead." He wrapped her in a gentle hug, wary of the injured arm she had cradled against her body. "I don't know what I would have done if you had died." Kailani was as stiff as a rock against him, but he didn't want to let go. She never usually let him this close, not lately anyway. In the end, she shoved him back and snatched the bandages from her uncomfortable doctor.

"I can do this myself, thank you." There were already stitches in her arm, and without a word the doctor handed her a bag of ice for her jaw. But he wasn't about to argue when there were more important patients to deal with. "If it counts for anything, we got them all out. All of them except for Enobaria, she wasn't even there. And well, as expected, my mother, she is long dead." She glanced at Cashmere, and nodded towards a door. "He's through there by the way."

"Actually, he's right here." Gloss leaned heavily against the door frame but it seemed not even weeks of torture could keep him from doing exactly as he pleased. Cashmere let out a sound somewhere between a sob and a sigh of relief, and crossed the room in an instant. She didn't tackle him into a bone-crushing hug, she had more sense than that. She did however move into his side, and help him hobble further into the room.

"Should you really be moving?" she asked, thickly. Tears glistened in her eyes but she refused to let them fall.

Gloss chuckled, "Not even a little bit." Kailani shifted, and he fell back onto the bed. "I see things here are still thoroughly unpleasant," he pointed out, before frowning. "Did someone hit you? That wasn't there before."

Cashmere smiled, innocently. "That would have been me, and I don't regret it at all," she said, echoing the words from earlier. Kailani rolled her eyes. There was a gasp, then. Not from her, but from someone else. A head of red hair filled Finnick's vision and suddenly he was being engulfed.

"Finnick!" yelled Annie, her voice filled with joy. He froze, his eyes going wide. He had been so worried about Kailani, he hadn't even thought about what he would do if he reunited with Annie again. Did she see what happened in the jungle? Did she know that he knew everything now? His eyes found Kailani, and she scoffed quietly, shaking her head. Finnick wanted to stop her, but before he could, she was gone. Despite her anger and his injuries, Cashmere and Gloss glared at him. Finnick sighed, deeply. Nothing would ever be easy for him. Boggs cleared his throat and finally, Annie pulled back though she remained close.

"Peeta's at the end of the hall," he said, looking at Katniss. Finnick had almost forgotten that she was there at all. "The knockout gas during the rescue didn't affect him, he should be awake."

Haymitch grinned, "Come on, then," he said. Finnick managed an encouraging smile and practically shaking with nervousness, Katniss disappeared down the hall with Haymitch. Annie beamed at him, and he sighed.

"Are you cleared to leave?" he asked, and she nodded, immediately. "I think we need to talk."

"I've missed you," she said, her eyes staring at him wide and innocent. It was as if nothing had happened, as if she wasn't hiding anything. Cashmere muttered something under her breath, and Gloss smirked. Neither of them knew what they had said, but Finnick assumed it was nothing nice.

"Annie," he said, his voice firm. "Did you see the Games before you were taken?"

"No, they wouldn't let me watch. I was so worried, Finnick I-"

"I know you've been sleeping with other men." The audience he had in Cashmere and Gloss was not ideal, but Finnick just couldn't bear it any more. There was a long moment of silence, and the smile slipped from Annie's face. She tilted her head to the side, thoughtfully, studying him, and then she sighed.

"That's why she was so different," said Annie, resigned. "Kailani has been furious with me ever since she found out, but she's never shown it, not even when we were alone. She played the perfect friend, up until now."

"She still saved your ass from the Capitol, didn't she?" grumbled Cashmere.

"Yes, but it would never have been in her nature to leave me behind. How'd it happen?"

Finnick couldn't believe what he was hearing. For one, this woman before him was not the Annie he was accustomed too, and above all else, he had kind of expected an apology. "That's it?"

Annie frowned, "Well, it is important. I mean, I've seen Kailani angry a lot, but I've never seen her like this."

"That's probably because Finnick doesn't always try and kill her," said Gloss, his eyes gleaming with amusement, as Annie gasped.

"What?" She shook her head, in disbelief. "No, Finnick! What did you do!?"

"W-what did I do?" he asked, incredulously. "You've been cheating, _for years-" _Finnick took a deep breath. "No, you know what? While I'm sure _they're_ enjoying the show, I'm not going to do this here. Let's go somewhere and talk."

Annie nodded, "Okay."

"Jeez, you ruin everything, Odair," said Gloss, unhappily. "Now, what I am I supposed to tell Johanna when she wakes up?"

Finnick scowled at him. He was bruised and injured, but it didn't take much for Gloss to get on his nerves. "You'll figure something out."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Normally, I have back up chapters that have already been written to fall back on when I'm not in the writing mood. As of last chapter, those were all gone. But with all the follows, and favourites, and reviews, I felt so guilty about not updating, that I managed to get something done. See, when you want something, just guilt me into doing it by saying nice somethings, it'll work eventually. I can't guarantee I'll get something else out real quick, but I'll try and stick to my schedule and continue to get things done, I promise. Thanks so much to everyone for being awesome, and following me. You guys are the best. Xx**

**CHAPTER 8:**

"How long?" asked Finnick, finally. Annie sat across from him, her hands in her lap, her red hair falling either side of her pale face. She looked like the same person, the same woman he had fallen in love with, but she was so far from that. She was completely different to him now, just like everyone else he knew.

"Since the beginning," answered Annie, truthfully. Finnick could feel his heart clench, and he could do nothing else but stare at her. He still couldn't believe it, there was still a part of him that was in shock about the whole thing. Annie looked away, her eyes becoming distant. "I don't know why, I really don't. I loved you and every moment I spent with you was like heaven but… it just wasn't enough, and being with others, it was what I needed."

Finnick swallowed, thickly. "And Kailani found out?"

Annie smiled, faintly. "She did, she walked in on me once. Well, more than once. But that first time, I thought she would kill me."

"She wouldn't do that." Finnick was adamant about that, but Annie just looked at him, her eyes flickering in amusement.

"Of course she would, she would do anything for you." She made it sound so simple, and maybe it was. Finnick had had a long time to think about it, basically his every waking hour, he thought about it, about her. Kailani who had only ever wanted to protect him, who had lied and covered up for Annie, just so that he wouldn't be in pain. Finnick was in pain now though, constantly. "What happened in the arena, Finnick?"

He sighed, tiredly. Finnick felt exhausted, every single part of him felt tired. It would have been so much easier if she had just seen it, if she had just seen the horrors that he'd committed, but she hadn't. Finnick had to physically say it out loud, explain how he had broken Kailani, and that was not easy for him. Then again, none of this had been easy. "I- Kailani explained to me the truth, told me what it was you'd been doing and I- I didn't believe her. I wasn't in my right mind at the time, but that's no excuse, I told her she was lying to me, that she wasn't the person I thought she was and then, it was like everything went blank, I stopped thinking and- I don't know, I still don't understand _why_-" His voice caught, and he clenched his fists tightly. "She turned away from me, made to leave and I- I picked up my trident-" Annie was staring at him, her eyes wide, her mouth open. "I threw it, I threw it at her as she walked away. I think I just didn't want to believe any of it, maybe some part of me thought I was trapped in some kind of nightmare, that I could make it all go away. If it had of been anyone else, they would have been dead but Lani, she managed to stop it." The relief was still there, still as strong as it had been the moment Finnick realised what he'd almost done, that Kailani was _okay_. "She was going to leave after that, she didn't care about the alliance, or how dangerous it was out there, she didn't care that if she left, she probably would have died, I think- I think, that was what she wanted." His breath shuddered, and he couldn't bear to look at Annie, his gaze was fixed on the ground, instead. "I think that's probably what she still wants."

"Finnick…"

"I've tried to talk to her but you've seen her, you've seen the person that she's become, she won't talk to me, not unless she has too."

There was a long silence, and then Finnick heard Annie let out a breath of air. "You have to make her, you have to make her listen," she said, and Finnick looked at her in surprise. "It's the only way Finnick, and she needs you."

Finnick shook his head, "It's not that easy-"

"It is." Her voice was firm, and steady. "She's always needed you and now that her mother is dead, well, she's going to need you even more. She doesn't want Cashmere, or Johanna, _or Gloss_. She wants you, she's always wanted you and I think you know that." Finnick could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his own eyes wide, as Annie smiled, wryly. "Honestly, I think everyone knows that. As everyone knows that _you_ have feelings for her."

"I-"

"You need to tell her, she needs to hear it, Finnick, she's waited long enough."

"But Gloss-"

"Was a distraction. A good one, a surprisingly loyal one." Annie shrugged, as she met his confused gaze. "I might have tried to coerce him once, he would have none of it. I'm not proud of what I did, Finnick. But at the very least, it means you can both go after what you _really_ want."

Was it possible? Could he and Kailani really- Finnick couldn't say that he hadn't thought about it once or twice in the past. Okay, that was a lie, he had thought about it often but, he'd pushed it aside, and then he had Annie and he felt like maybe, just maybe, he could be happy. He had a woman that he loved, and he had his best-friend, but had he actually been happy? Finnick was sure that he had been, but was he anywhere near as happy as he could be with Kailani? No. The answer to that was easy. Kailani meant everything to him, and he would do anything for her, it didn't matter what it was. A life without Kailani was not a life worth living, which was something that proved to be true time and time again. Finnick looked at Annie, really looked at her. There were no signs of the woman that could so easily fall into a panic, that had mood changes so fast it was hard to keep up, she seemed almost… normal. She sat there, studying him, her face knowing and encouraging. She'd been cheating on him for years and apparently, was also aware that his heart laid elsewhere. Was that what had driven her away? The feelings he supposedly had for his best-friend, the feelings that everyone else knew about, _but him_. If so, she didn't seem all that bothered by it. In fact, if anything, she seemed relieved. "How long have you known?" Finnick asked, eventually.

Annie raised an eyebrow, "Known what? That you're in love with Kailani- oh, don't give me that look Finnick Odair, of course you're in love with her. Why do you think everyone was surprised when you told them you weren't together? Why do you think they all looked at you two and rolled their eyes, made their comments, because they _knew_. You love her, and she loves you- hasn't it always been that way?"

Finnick laughed, humourlessly. "Not right now it's not."

"She's hurt-"

"Yeah, because I was the one who hurt her."

Annie sighed, "Search your heart, can you honestly tell me you haven't always been in love with Kailani?" Finnick thought about it, thought about Kailani. He distinctly remembered being on the beach with her when they were eleven, he remembered watching the sun set, bathing them in a golden-orange glow. He'd looked at her, and remembered feeling nervous, Finnick was never nervous around Kailani but that afternoon, seeing her there next to him, he had been nervous. He wondered if a part of him had wanted to kiss her, that might have been why he was so nervous. Finnick didn't go through with it if that had been his intention, perhaps he'd been too worried about wrecking their friendship. Maybe that was why he had always ignored whatever it was he thought he might have felt, he didn't want to ruin anything. Kailani was his best-friend, he didn't want her to be frightened off, or to turn him down and things become awkward between them. He didn't want to lose her. He supposed, that was all pointless now. Annie took his silence as answer enough, and smiled, sympathetically. "You need to talk to her, Finnick, you need to tell her."

He shook his head, "Now's not the time-"

"Now is the perfect time. She needs you back, Finnick! You might be realising how much she truly means to you now, but Kailani has always known her feelings-"

"You can't know that for certain."

Annie sighed, exasperatedly. "Go on, ask anyone else and they will tell you. Ask Gloss, and Cashmere, ask Johanna when she gets out of surgery and they'll tell you the same thing that I am, that _she is in love with you._" Finnick could feel his hands shaking, and longed for his rope, longed for something to fiddle with, to distract him. Maybe Kailani loved him as much as he did her, but didn't that make things worse? _He had tried to kill her_. Finnick was supposed to protect her, to _have_ her back, not aim at it. He felt sick, not for the first time in the last few weeks. He had hurt her so much, too much. "Just talk to her," said Annie, firmly. "You're the only one who can, who could possibly bring the Kailani we love back."

Finnick ran a hand through his hair. There was no way it was going to be that easy.

* * *

Katniss was still in shock. Peeta had attacked her, had wrapped his hands around her throat and tried to choke the air out of her. If not for Boggs, he would have succeeded too. She was vaguely aware of Beetee explaining what they thought had happened to him, as she sat on her hospital bed. They called it, _hijacking_. They assumed that after all of the torture, after everything that had happened to him, Snow had found a way to turn his memories against him, _against them_, made Peeta look at her as an enemy, as someone that wanted to kill him. Katniss felt her stomach churn, the way he had looked at her clear as day in her mind. He had truly, honestly, wanted to kill her.

"At least he's alive," pointed out Plutarch, "Snow executed Peeta's stylist and his prep team on live television tonight. We've no idea what happened to Effie Trinket. Peeta's damaged, but he's here, with us, and that's a definite improvement over his situation twelve hours ago. Let's keep that in mind, alright?" Plutarch spoke as if it were all that simple, as if that ought to cheer her up. Peeta was back with them, but four, possibly five, other people had been murdered. The effort it took Katniss to fight back tears, made her throat throb, until she was gasping, uncontrollably. The soothing darkness of being sedated once more, was a welcome release.

* * *

Days, it had been days and days since Finnick had seen even a glimpse, of Kailani. He looked, he really did but she was trying harder than ever to avoid him. In fact, she seemed to be trying harder than ever to avoid all of them. Cashmere barely saw her, but from what he'd gathered from personnel around Thirteen, she was working as usual, she was training, she was doing all of those things, just avoiding all of them in the process. All Finnick wanted to do was speak to her, Mags' "death" as Snow had called it, had been mentioned by the President in one of the more recent broadcasts. According to him, "it was a tragic loss", as if he hadn't had anything to do with it. He knew how close she had been with her mother, she might have accepted that she was as good as dead the moment she'd been taken, but for it to be confirmed, was different. Annie was right, Kailani needed someone and that someone, had to be him. She wouldn't be that open with Cashmere, and she wouldn't want to burden either Johanna or Gloss. Finnick was her only option. If things had been different, she would have gone to him immediately. But, things weren't different. They were the same as they had been since Finnick had gone and ruined everything, like the idiot he was.

"You look like crap," observed Johanna, her voice hoarse as he entered the hospital room she shared with Gloss. They were the only ones that he could possibly go to in regards to Kailani. Finnick was sure that everything Annie had said was right, but she didn't know her nearly as well as Johanna did. All of the comments she'd made in the past, certainly became glaringly clear now. That, and the annoyed looks that Gloss had given him. Every little thing added up. Finnick had just been so determined not to see anything of them, to pretend like it was all just his imagination. Neither of them had been all that helpful so far though, they were more keen on making him suffer for hurting Kailani in the first place.

"Still haven't seen Kailani?" questioned Gloss, amused. "And I thought you were supposed to be the one that 'knew her better than anyone else'." His eyes gleamed, but instead of being annoyed, Finnick just felt whatever they said, was probably deserved.

"That feels like forever ago," said Finnick, with a sigh, falling into one of the chairs.

Gloss rolled his eyes, "Stop being so pathetic and find your girl, before she does something _dumb_," he said, firmly. "She's already gone on her suicide mission to the Capitol, I still can't believe you've sat by and let her get this bad-"

"You think I wanted this?" Finnick's voice broke, and he shook his head. "If I could fix it, I would."

"Well, _try harder_." Gloss held his gaze, his eyes burning with anger. Did he care about Kailani that much that he was willing to sit by and let Finnick swoop in out of nowhere. He was the one that had been in a relationship with Kailani, or whatever it was they'd been. Gloss had every right to step in himself and try and fix things. But he didn't, he sat there, looking at him, waiting for him to do something.

"He's right," said Johanna, cutting into his thoughts. "As much as it pains me to admit." Gloss smirked slightly, glancing over at her. "You need to try harder, surely this place isn't _that_ big. You love her? Great, prove it."

"Time to step up, Odair," added Gloss.

Finnick looked between them, it was strange that they weren't straight up arguing with each other. But putting aside what they had just been through together, if there was one thing he figured they could agree on, it was Kailani's happiness. At least, that plan, seemed to involve him though how it did, he had no idea. "Did you love her?" asked Finnick, glancing at Gloss, unable to keep himself from asking. He had to know, he had to understand why he was doing this. "_Do_ you love her?"

Gloss' eyes narrowed slightly, his arms folding across his chest. "This isn't about me," he said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Of course he does," chuckled Johanna, "Glossy can't help himself, but I think he always knew what he was getting into with her."

"Prison buddies or not, you still can't call me that," he said.

"Can and will."

Gloss' jaw clenched, though Finnick wondered if that had to do more with Johanna, or his questions. Finnick would guess that it was the latter. "What does it matter? I know what Kailani wants, and if Odair has finally come to his senses, then I'm not going to stand in the way of that." His face softened, ever so slightly. "She deserves to be happy."

"Tear this place apart if you have to, dummy," said Johanna. She waved a thin arm at him, threateningly. "But if you fuck this up, I will kill you."

Finnick managed a small smile, "I would expect nothing less."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N - I'M STILL SORRY. I'm in the middle of reading a series of books and I'm not very good at splitting my attention but I refuse to leave an update any longer than 4 weeks, so hear I am! Besides, it's almost Christmas! I had to give you guys some kind of present for being such awesome human beings! Once I get back into the swing of things I'll post two chapters to make it up to you all but in the meantime, you'll have to make do. Anyways, I hope you like the chapter! I think I do, it's just I've been building up to this chapter for so long, it feels weird to actually get it done. As ever, if you feel like it please drop me a review, it definitely inspires me. Love you guys! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and all that jazz. Xx**

**CHAPTER 9:**

He fucked it up.

He hadn't meant too, he hadn't even done anything yet, but that was where it all went to crap. Finnick must have been the dumbest person in Thirteen if he thought that being patient with Kailani was a good idea, if he thought that waiting for the perfect opportunity was the best plan. It was dumb. _He_ was dumb. She was hurting, she was hurting so much and that became glaringly clear to Finnick the moment Boggs carried her into the infirmary, _unconscious_. She was so pale, and so thin, he should have known better, he shouldn't have been so scared. It was just- every time he looked at her, or went close to talking with her, Finnick saw all of the times she'd turned him away, all of the times she looked at him coldly in an effort to cover up the pain _he_ had caused. A part of him didn't want to have to see that again, to fight her into speaking with him. He was weak, and Kailani needed someone stronger than that. _Someone like Gloss_, was at the back of his mind, but Finnick ignored it. He couldn't put this off for any longer, especially not with Johanna glaring at him as she was. If she wasn't still bed-bound she probably would have tried to kill him by now.

"_Fix this now_," she hissed, and Finnick wasn't inclined to argue with her. He knew he had too, he couldn't let this go on for any longer. If he did, he was terrified that he would lose Kailani for good. 

The sterile white walls of the infirmary made Finnick uncomfortable, like he was trapped somehow. He'd been forced to stay in this place too many times, mostly not of his own violation. He hated it, he really did. He hated this whole place, he missed his home, he missed _their_ home. The warm sun on his skin, the water lapping against the beach. Kailani beaming at him, Kailani looking at him with shining eyes, Kailani laughing, Kailani, Kailani, _Kailani_. She was the only person that mattered, she was the only person that ever mattered. When Finnick thought of home, she was always there. A familiar figure appeared at the end of the hallway, and Finnick let out a breath of relief. "Boggs!" he called, rushing to catch up with the other man. He was the one that had brought Kailani in, in the first place. No one else might have wanted to tell him anything, but Boggs would. At least, Finnick hoped he would.

"Finnick," said Boggs, a small frown on his face. "What are you doing here?" It was as if Finnick wasn't _meant_ to be there.

"I was with Johanna and Gloss when I saw you with Kailani, is she-" He swallowed, thickly. "Is she okay?"

Boggs studied him with nothing less than pity in his eyes, and Finnick tried not to let it bother him. "I'm not supposed to talk about it."

"_Please_," said Finnick, his voice desperate.

"Well, it's clearly your fault," said Cashmere, striding up to them, her blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun at the back of her head. She looked _pissed_, her eyes were blazing and Finnick had to resist the urge to cringe as they fixed on him, pointedly. "But you already know that, don't you Finnick?"

Of course he did. "_Is she okay?_" he asked, again.

Cashmere shook her head, "Of course she's not okay. When was the last time Kailani was _okay_? Before the Games and all of this shit went down-"

"You know what I mean, Cashmere." Finnick wasn't in the mood for hearing about everything he'd done wrong, not again, and not from her. He already knew all of it, it haunted him every day. And he deserved that, if Kailani was suffering then it was only fair that he suffered too but right now, all that mattered was whether she was okay or not. Finnick had no idea how bad she was, or what had even happened. She could have been fighting for her life and he wouldn't even know.

Cashmere sighed, "She'll be fine." Maybe he didn't look particularly convinced because she shot him a look of annoyance. "Really Finnick, she'll be fine. Kailani hasn't been eating, she hasn't been sleeping, it was all bound to catch up with her eventually and it did." She shrugged, "Collapsed in the training rooms. They'll keep her overnight and then she'll be off duty for the next couple of days. The perfect time for _you_ to speak with her." And with that, she left him alone. Boggs had already left, Finnick hadn't even noticed him skulk away. He probably figured this was none of his business or at the very least, didn't want to get involved. He certainly couldn't be blamed for that, this whole thing was a nightmare. A nightmare Finnick wished he could wake from.

* * *

The reality of what had been done to Peeta still hadn't quite sunk in for Katniss. She understood it, she understood what Snow had done to him, but seeing it was still a shock. The hate he held for her was almost overwhelming, even from a distance, behind a wall of glass, she could feel it. Snow had turned every good thing they had between them and twisted it into something horrible and unrecognisable. Peeta hated her with every fibre of his being now, he looked at her and wanted to strangle her until she could no longer breathe, he heard her name mentioned and he wanted her dead at his feet, he hated her so much he didn't even think she was human anymore. He thought she was no better than a mutt, a killing machine created by the Capitol. Her sister thought that the Peeta she once knew was still in there, that Peeta still cared for her somewhere deep down, but Katniss knew now that Prim was wrong. It didn't matter who he spoke too, whether it was doctors, or someone as innocuous as Delly, from Twelve, it always came back to Katniss, all of the blame and the hate he had for her, it was ingrained into him now and nothing would change that. Peeta was irretrievable, this was the person he was now and Katniss couldn't bear to watch it.

"I can't stay here anymore," she said, numbly. Her eyes flickered from Haymitch to Plutarch, as Peeta continued to scream behind them. "If you want me to be the Mockingjay, you'll have to send me away."

"Where do you want to go?" asked Haymitch.

"The Capitol," Katniss answered, immediately. It was the one place where she knew she had a job to do, where Snow hid behind his armies and his people.

"Can't do it," said Plutarch, "Not until all the districts are secure. Good news is, the fighting's almost over in all of them but Two. It's a tough nut to crack, though."

That was right. First they had to take control of the districts and then, only then, could they move on to the Capitol. Once all of the fighting was done in the districts, Katniss would get her chance, she could go after Snow, and she could _kill him_. "Fine," she said, "Send me to Two."

* * *

Finnick hovered awkwardly, _nervously, _outside of Kailani's room. If he were being perfectly honest, it wasn't the first time he had done this. Finnick would often find himself hovering here, it was as close as he could get without being pushed away. He doubted that Kailani had any idea that he did it and even she did, she wouldn't acknowledge it, or him for that matter. Cashmere had caught him before, but she wouldn't this time. Finnick had heard that she'd gone to try and secure District Two with Katniss. If she were healthier, Kailani would have gone with them. She would have gone and put herself in more danger, and Finnick could have lost her for good, without having spoken to her, without having confessed how he felt. Finnick leaned his head against the cool metal of the door, trying to gather his nerves. If he had just realised sooner how he felt for her, that a part of him wanted her as much more than a friend, maybe all of this wouldn't have happened. Annie wouldn't have happened, Kailani wouldn't have had to cover for her and lie to him, to feel that guilt. All Finnick had to do, was have some courage. But he didn't, he pretended that there was nothing else there, and the only people he managed to convince of that it seemed, were himself and Kailani, everyone else knew better. It was why there were always rumours, and the other victors made their comments. They knew, they'd always known. Finnick would have the courage now though, he had too. It didn't matter if she rejected him, if she tried to push him away, he just needed to be there for her. She needed that support, and he would give it to her whether she liked it or not. Finnick would not let Kailani waste away, he didn't want to see her dead. He straightened himself up, and took a deep breath. He could do this, he could. With a shaking hand, Finnick knocked loudly on the door. For a moment, a long and agonising moment, there was silence. Finnick hadn't planned on what to do if Kailani wasn't there, or if she was sleeping, or if she just outright ignored him. He could have waited there, annoyed her until she answered, or if he was really desperate he might have even been able to convince Beetee to override the lock on her door, let himself in, but it didn't come down to any of that. Suddenly, the door slid open and Finnick found himself frozen. For a brief second, Kailani had a vulnerable look about her. The look of someone that was just entirely done with her day, someone who was both physically and mentally exhausted. She looked as bad as she did when she had come back from the Games, lost and confused. Her hair hung limply around her face, and up close Finnick could _really_ see how unhealthy she'd gotten, how fragile she looked. And then, she saw _him_. Her eyes iced over, Finnick could practically see every inch of her shut down. It hurt, it always hurt having her look at him like that but he deserved it. He'd tried to kill her, even if by some miracle she forgave him, he would never forgive himself. Finnick wanted to say something, anything, but it was as if all of his words had left him. Instead of working himself up to talk her, he should have been figuring out _what to say_. Scowling, Kailani moved to slide the door shut and that was enough to spur Finnick into motion. He threw himself forward, his arm blocking the door before it could be closed on him completely.

"Wait," he begged. "We need to talk, Lani."

She scoffed, "I don't think we do, Finnick." Her voice was like icy daggers being thrown into his heart. "And don't call me that, you don't have the right."

"I know." Finnick was only vaguely aware of his voice being nothing more than a whisper. "I know I deserve this but please, I just need a chance, just one chance to speak with you." Kailani wouldn't meet his eyes, instead she focused on trying to push the door closed but Finnick was stronger than her. He took a deep breath, he would have to do this now. She wasn't going to let him in, so Finnick had to try and _make her see_ instead. Kailani wouldn't go to Annie, or Johanna, or Gloss, she wouldn't go to anyone because she preferred to be the one to help _them_, not the other way around. She'd even shut him out after her own Hunger Games, she hadn't wanted to worry him, only her mother was allowed to see her but now, her mother was dead. She needed someone and really, that someone had to be him. He was the one that had grown up with her, he was the one that knew her mother just as well as she did. "Mags meant a lot to me too, you know," said Finnick, quietly. Kailani's head snapped up to look at him, her eyes flashing in pain.

"I'm not going to talk about my mother," she said, shaking her head. Finnick longed to reach out and hold her, to wrap his arms around her. "Especially not with _you_." The word came out as a hiss, and Finnick flinched back. He wouldn't give up though, he couldn't.

"Kailani-"

"No, Finnick. Just go away and leave me alone!" She tried again to close the door, and almost managed it too but Finnick wasn't about to let her get away that easy. No, he was here now, he was going to see it through.

"I know you're in pain, I know you're hurting. You're mother meant so much to you, to all of us but you more than anyone-"

Kailani gave up on the door and stepped back, put a little more distance between them as she wound her arms around herself. "You know me about as much as I know you these days."

"I'm still the same person." But that sounded unconvincing even to his own ears, let alone hers too. Finnick sighed, "Well, perhaps not, but we've been through too much together for me to sit by and let you try and deal with this yourself."

"I don't need your help!" Her voice had grown louder, and there was a hint of desperation that hadn't been there before. "I knew my mother was dead the moment they told me that she'd been taken. She was never going to survive, _I knew that_. This was no surprise, you don't need to pretend to be a friend to me because you think I'm hurt somehow, I don't need it." Kailani turned to move deeper into her room, maybe she thought he would leave her alone then, that he wouldn't dare follow her. But Kailani should have known better, Finnick would follow her to the end of the world if he had too. He grabbed her by the arm, forcing her to turn around and look at him. It was like the arena all over again, Finnick having to force her to stay. Her eyes flashed dangerously, and she tried to pull herself from his grip, but he refused to let her go.

"Enough!" he yelled, his emotions getting the better of him. "If you want to hate me for the rest of your life than fine, but don't lie and tell me that you're not suffering right now. Don't lie and tell me that you can do all of this on your own because you _can't_ Kailani. If you keep going like this, you're going to get yourself killed-" His voice cracked, and her frown deepened. "I can't let that happen, you mean too much to me."

"I didn't mean much to you in the arena," said Kailani, coldly. Again, Finnick winced. They had to talk about this though, no matter how much it was going to hurt the both of them. If they could move past this, just a little bit, then maybe she would let him comfort her. _Maybe_.

"You meant everything to me." His grip tightened on her, and Finnick wondered if he were hurting her or if somehow, it was grounding them both. "You still do, you idiot. I deserve all of your hate, I deserve everything you give me and everything I make myself feel but that doesn't change the fact that you are my best friend. You've been my best friend since we were children, we grew up together, you were always there for me, even if it meant it was tearing you up on the inside." His voice was thick with emotion, and tears pricked at his eyes. Kailani stared at him, her face unreadable and that just made everything so much worse. Finnick felt like he was drowning, that there was just so much pain and sorrow all around them that he'd never break the surface and breathe again. "I don't blame you for any of that, I never did. I don't know what happened in the arena, I look back at it and it's as if I'm separated from my body, that I'm not in control. Maybe it was just everything that had happened, all of the lies from Annie, from the jabberjays, that's all I saw when you told me the truth, everyone lying and I couldn't take it. For however brief a moment, I looked at you and saw everything that was trying to break us. It wasn't about you, it was never about you." The tears were flowing down his face now, and Finnick could barely even stand. He clutched at Kailani desperately, both of his hands on her arms, just trying to make her _see_. "I let that trident go and all I wanted to do was bring it back, to stop it before it could go anywhere but I'm no magician, I couldn't do that, no matter how much I wanted it. Lani, please, you have to see that I didn't mean to do it. I could never hurt you, not on purpose. The fact that I have, that what we had has been severed because of what I've done, has been agony. Oh, it's been deserved, but god it hurts. Every day, every single day I think of you. Not Annie, _you_." The implication of those words hung heavily in the air, and Kailani turned her head away before she spoke.

"How is Annie?"

Finnick groaned, shaking his head. "We're not talking about her, Kailani!"

"Have you forgiven her?"

"Honestly, I've been too worried about you to dwell on how I feel about her too much. We spoke, that'll do for now," he said, dismissively. "I just need you to understand that I would never hurt you, I never could."

"But you did," said Kailani, simply.

"And if that trident had killed you, I would have followed soon after." There was no doubt in his mind about that. If Kailani had died, then he either would have gotten himself killed in the fighting, or he would have done it himself out of grief and guilt. Finnick wouldn't have survived her death, especially not one that he had caused himself.

Kailani narrowed her eyes at him, "That would have been foolish."

"I don't care. This has been bad enough but if I'd actually killed you?" Finnick shook his head, "I wouldn't have been able to handle it."

"Katniss might have needed you-"

"_I don't care_." Finnick decided to take his chances, stepping closer to her, moving his hands to cup her face. His thumbs brushed over her soft skin, and Kailani's eyes flickered in surprise. She didn't move out of his reach though, she stood there frozen, staring at him. How could he have been so foolish not to have seen how much he loved her? It was always there, just hidden. He should have kissed her when they were eleven years old, should have taken the chance then. Would she let him now? He wasn't so sure, but he was going to do it anyway. Finnick leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers. For a long moment, Kailani didn't move. He'd expected the worst and it wasn't happening, she was accepting this, maybe she even wanted it? As soon as he had thought that though, Kailani started, and shoved him back, roughly. He should have been used to her rejection by now but it still hurt. "Lani…"

"What are you doing?" Her voice shook, as she looked at him with wide eyes. "You think _this_ is helping?" He wanted to tell her that this hadn't been the plan, Finnick didn't have a plan, but Kailani never gave him that chance. "You need to leave, _now_."

"Kailani-"

"No, no I don't want to hear it. I'm not going to do this." She was still shaking her head, her eyes darting around the room, as if she were looking for some kind of escape. "I need you to leave Finnick. If you want to help me, then you'll leave."

That was almost enough to do it. Finnick hated the idea that he was hurting her even more, but she needed this, they both did. They had been in denial for far too long. "I'm not going anywhere." He tried to take a hold of her again, but she evaded him.

"Stop it!" she screamed. Her emotions spilled out of her, however unwilling. Tears stained her face, and there was a terror in her eyes that made Finnick pause.

"Kailani, you've always been the person I've cared most about," he said, softly. "I tried to pretend that it was just because you were my best friend, that that was all it ever was-"

"Stop, Finnick, _please_."

He shook his head, taking a careful step towards her. "But we both know that it was more than that. Hell, everyone knew we just pretended not to see it. I don't know why, it was dumb, stupid, _idiotic_. I've almost lost you too many times to ignore it for any longer now though, I just can't anymore."

"This won't make me feel better," whispered Kailani, "I don't need you to pretend-"

"The only thing I was pretending about was that I _wasn't in love with you_!" shouted Finnick, finally. Kailani sucked in a sharp breath of air, and he shot forward to press her against the wall. Her face was as white as a ghost, but she didn't fight him. "I love _you_, Kailani. I have always loved you, even with Annie, and anyone else, it was always you. I already told you that I couldn't hurt you, you really think I would lie to you about this? Look past everything that's happened, how much I betrayed you and just see _me_, Lani. The boy that put sand in your hair, that built sandcastles with you, found starfish with you. The boy that grew into a man, as you became a woman, and stood by your side through everything. The man that would walk over fire for you, climb a mountain for you, do _anything for you_. You are my best friend, the most beautiful woman I have ever met, or will ever meet, and _I love you_." Kailani was shaking, he could feel the tremors moving through her body. Finnick couldn't face the rejection, not again, he clenched his eyes closed and rested his forehead against hers. "Please, believe me. I love you, I love you so much. Kailani, _please_-" There were soft lips on his, tentative and uncertain. Finnick gasped, and it was Kailani that deepened the kiss. Her tongue slipped into his mouth, exploring. He felt like he couldn't stand, his legs had turned to jelly and Finnick had to lean his hands against the wall to keep from falling over. She was kissing him, this was all new territory for them but it felt _right_. He kissed her back, with fervour, his tongue fighting with hers. Kailani moaned, and Finnick could have died right there, and been happy about it. He felt like he was floating, that this was all some kind of dream. If it was, it was the best he had ever had. Breathless, Kailani pulled away. The coldness he'd grown so used to in the past few weeks was gone now, she studied him hesitantly, though her cheeks were flushed and her lips were swollen. Finnick had the sudden urge to throw her onto the bed and continue where they had left off, but he knew it wasn't going to be quite so easy. Too much had happened for it to be that easy.

"Finnick," she started, but he shook his head. He kissed her lightly, silencing whatever she had been about to say.

"I love you."

Kailani swallowed thickly, "You really mean it? What about Annie?"

"I never loved Annie anywhere near as much as I loved you."

"I-"

"You don't need to say it back." His voice was gentle, and he brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "I was the one that ruined everything, I don't expect you-"

"As much as I tried not too, as much as I tried to convince myself otherwise, no matter what you do, I would always love you, Finnick." She looked away from him, sighing. "Maybe that was why it hurt so much. I could barely even stand to see you because every time I did-"

"I know," said Finnick, his voice pained. Though it killed him to do it, he took a step away from her. "This probably wasn't the best time, I just- I've been so scared for you and it all came tumbling out, and-" Kailani reached forward to take his hands, gripping them tightly.

"We both should have said something a long time ago. It's what my mother would have wanted." Finnick watched as more tears fell down her face, her face crumpling in sadness. "She never said anything, not like Johanna did but she knew, of course she did. Finnick, I miss her."

"Oh, Lani." He pulled her close, wrapping her in his arms as she began to sob. This was what she needed, this was why he had come in the first place. Kailani had lost her mother and no matter how well she acted, it was always going to be causing her pain. Too much pain to deal with on her own. He loved her, no matter what had happened, Finnick was never going to let her do this alone. Never in a million years. He could feel his own tears slipping down his face, as Kailani gripped at his shirt, barely even holding her weight. If not for him, she would have collapsed by now. "It's okay," whispered Finnick, soothingly. His hand ran through her hair, as he guided them to the bed and sat down. "It's okay, I know."

"This wasn't supposed to happen," she cried. "She was supposed to get out, she was supposed to be here."

"I know." Finnick kissed the top of her head, as he rocked her gently in his arms. "It's going to be okay, Kailani, I promise." He didn't know how long they sat there, how long she cried into his chest. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours. All Finnick really cared about was Kailani.

"Finnick?" she said, finally. The heart-wrenching sobs had stopped but neither of them had moved. She glanced up at him with red eyes and Finnick felt his heart tug painfully. She was hurting so much, just seeing it hurt him too.

"Yeah, Lani?"

"Don't leave me." Her voice was nothing more than a whisper, but Finnick had still heard it.

"_Never_." His hands rested on her waist and as if he had to make her believe him, he crashed his lips into hers. There was nothing gentle about this kiss. There was no hesitance or uncertainty. Finnick loved her, and he was not going to go anywhere. He felt her hands twist into his hair, pulling and tugging, and he couldn't help but moan into her mouth. "I'm not going to leave you," he murmured, against her lips. "I could never leave you."

Kailani moved, shifting so that she sat on his lap, straddling him. Finnick swallowed, trying to focus on her face rather than anything else. She looked beautiful, even with her face stained with tears, with her red-rimmed eyes, she was stunning. "I believe you," she said, softly.

Finally, Finnick felt like he could breathe again. Everything wasn't hopeless, everything wasn't this dark spiral of emotions that he couldn't escape. There was light now, hope. He pulled her head down and kissed her again, losing himself in the feel of her. He could do this forever. If he was lucky, maybe he would.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: HEY LOOK, A POST-CHRISTMAS PRESENT! Don't expect them this often after this, but I am working on back-up chapters so I don't get behind again. Hopefully I can get through a whole bunch, and keep things consistent but we'll see. Thanks for the support you guys! Xx**

**CHAPTER 10:**

"You guys had sex," observed Johanna, coolly, as Gloss applauded, slowly, a look of amusement of his face.

Finnick spluttered, "What! No, don't be ridiculous-"

A grin spread across Johanna's face. A knowing, gleeful grin. "You did!" She laughed, or perhaps the more accurate term would have been, cackled. "Well, well, who would have thought?"

"You," said Kailani, dryly.

"It's not my fault you're both the biggest idiots in the world."

Finnick and Kailani exchanged looks, neither of them had any right to disagree with her, not now they knew better. Of all the places they could have gone that afternoon, visiting Johanna and Gloss probably shouldn't have been at the top of their list. Johanna was too observant, knew far too much about them to miss the change that had occurred. And Gloss. Well, he had seen Kailani like this enough times to know _exactly_ what had happened. Besides, the fact that they had come into the room together was enough of an indication as it was. They hadn't really discussed what to do next, how they would handle this. Kailani was happy, she was. A part of her was emotionally drained, but she supposed that was something she needed, she needed to let it out, all of it, and she had. Now, she was just left in a state of contention. Kailani leaned into Finnick's side and immediately, he beamed down at her. Johanna made a noise of disgust.

"You two are going to be sickeningly sweet for _weeks_, aren't you?" she asked, unhappily. There was a sullen look on her face, but Kailani knew better. She was happy for them, _really_ happy.

"Probably," said Finnick, and Johanna groaned.

Kailani turned her gaze to Gloss, and he met her eyes in silence. They weren't together, that had ended the night before they went into the Games but still, she felt some need to talk to him. He had always known her feelings for Finnick, he knew where he stood in the big scheme of things but had things gone differently, Kailani thought she could have been happy with Gloss. If Finnick and Annie had truly been happy, had intended to start a life together, Kailani would have found a way to move on and chances are, it would have been with Gloss. A part of her did love him, had enjoyed their time together, even if they'd convinced themselves it was casual. Gloss raised a questioning eyebrow, and Kailani carefully detached herself from Finnick, moving to stand at his bedside. "You're okay, right?" she asked.

His eyes softened, ever so slightly. Not enough for anyone else to see, but more than enough for her. "For once Kailani, don't worry," he said. A smirk twitched at his lips, "Just be happy. And if he hurts you again, I'll kill him-"

"_We'll_ kill him," added Johanna, seriously. "And we'll have fun doing it."

Finnick didn't look all that concerned. "That's not going to be a problem," he said.

"I hope not."

Kailani smiled, fondly and leaned down to plant a light kiss on Gloss' cheek. "Thank you."

Gloss shifted uncomfortably in his bed, his eyes flicking away from her. "You don't need to thank me," he muttered. But still, she smiled.

* * *

Johanna was bored. That was all that could be said about her mood; _bored_. It had been weeks since Kailani had finally gotten her act together and since then, it had been all work for her. She'd heard that after the incident with Peeta, little Katniss had made a run for it and gone to Two in an effort to secure the district. Johanna had scoffed at that, it would take a lot more than the Mockingjay to force them into their line of thinking. The Capitol treated them well, why would they risk that? Still, it left a lot of people on edge. Kailani and Cashmere were barely seen, even Finnick had started training again. It only took Kailani to bring him out of his depression. Though, that was no surprise. Gloss had been allowed his own room out of the infirmary and Johanna, well, she was left extremely bored. Annoying him had been her favourite past time and now, she was in this damned room by herself. The doctors hadn't deemed her anywhere near well enough to be able to leave yet, though they'd had no problem with lessening her pain medication. If she had to stay here, the least they could do was make sure she was barely aware of it but no, they wanted to try and ween her off the stuff instead. If Johanna had to see that head-doctor one more time, she was going to murder someone. The unexpected arrival of Katniss herself, had indeed been a surprise. She hadn't seen it happen, but she had heard more than enough from Finnick. The girl on fire had been giving a speech to the people of Two, when someone had decided to shoot her. If it counted for anything, the people there had turned against the Capitol soldiers, so she'd accomplished something but Johanna didn't much care for that. Katniss recovering in the same room gave Johanna the opportunity to borrow some of her drugs, she didn't notice, she was unconscious. At least, she had been. There was movement from the bed across from her, and Johanna pushed herself to her feet. She could actually stand without having the urge to throw up now, which was nice. Everyone had still been watching her like a hawk though, fussing, and being annoying. With bleary eyes, Katniss turned to look at her.

"I'm alive," she said, rustily.

"No kidding, brainless," said Johanna, shaking her head and plunking herself down on Katniss' bed. The girl winced in pain, and she couldn't help but grin. It would seem that she'd finally found something to entertain her. "Still a little sore?" Johanna detached the morphling drip from her arm, and plugged it into the socket taped to her own. "They started cutting back my supply a few days ago," she explained, "Afraid I'm going to turn into one of those freaks from Six. I've had to borrow from you when the coast was clear. Didn't think you'd mind." Katniss said nothing, and as the drugs entered her system, Johanna let out a sigh. "Maybe they were on to something in Six. Drug yourself out and paint flowers on your body. Not such a bad life. Seemed happier than the rest of us anyway. They've got this head doctor who comes around every day. Supposed to be helping me recover. Like some guy who's spent his life in this rabbit warren's going to fix me up. Complete idiot. Kailani said she's been made to talk to him on more than a few occasions, she hates him too, which is saying something. At least twenty times a session he reminded me that I'm totally safe." Katniss smiled, wryly. "What about you, Mockingjay? You feel totally safe?"

"Oh, yeah," said Katniss, her voice tinged with sarcasm. "Right up until I got shot."

"Please. That bullet never even touched you. Cinna saw to that." The doctors had been going on _and on_ about how that suit had protected Katniss, had saved her.

"Broken ribs?" she asked.

Johanna shook her head, "Not even. Bruised pretty good. The impact ruptured your spleen, they couldn't repair it." She waved her hand, dismissively. "Don't worry, you don't need one. And if you did, they'd find you one, wouldn't they? It's everybody's job to keep you alive." Johanna didn't think she sounded bitter but then again, she probably didn't need too.

"Is that why you hate me?" questioned Katniss.

"Partly," she admitted, "Jealousy is certainly involved. I also think you're a little hard to swallow. With your tacky romantic drama and your defender-of-the-helpless act. Only it isn't an act, which makes you more unbearable. Please feel free to take this personally." Katniss had simply gotten on her nerves, right from the very beginning. Johanna wasn't sure why, but she had. Yes, Katniss had won the Games with Peeta, but it didn't seem fair that she'd gotten to escape unscathed with someone she cared about while the rest of them, were not nearly so lucky. Everyone talked about her, did everything for her, gave their lives for her and given all that they'd lost, Johanna couldn't help but feel bitter about it. She knew Kailani wouldn't, or Finnick, or Beetee, or any of them, so Johanna felt a certain amount of responsibility, to not treat Katniss like she was the only thing that mattered. She wasn't, _their_ lives mattered too.

"You should have been the Mockingjay," said Katniss, suddenly. "No one would've had to feed you lines."

Johanna almost laughed. "True, but no one likes me."

"They trusted you, though. To get me out," she reminded, "And they're afraid of you."

"Here, maybe. In the Capitol, you're the one they're scared of now." Katniss' cousin appeared in the doorway, and without a word, Johanna unhooked herself from the morphling drip, returning it to Katniss. "Your cousin's not afraid of me," she said, confidently. Johanna scooted from the bed and crossed the room, nudging Gale with her hip as she passed by him. "Are you gorgeous?" The look on his face said otherwise, and she laughed. Even in the state she was in, it was nice to know that she still intimidated people. Snow had tried to break her and he had _failed_. Johanna hoped she got the chance to show him just how much he had failed. One day, maybe.

* * *

"Have you spoken to Annie yet?" asked Finnick.

Kailani glanced over the room at him. Sweat clung to his skin, and his breathing was heavy. Coin had been nice enough to leave Finnick's training to her and Cashmere. They didn't have to do classes like the rest of them. At least, not often. Finnick would have had to though, he'd lost all of his fitness over the months that they had been stuck here. It was only her last minute intervention that had prevented him from having to do so. He was unfit, but if anyone knew how to train him, it was her. If they wanted him at his best, they should leave him with her, and they did. He'd been working hard since then. Finnick knew that if we wanted to be able to fight alongside her, he would have to be deemed ready. If he wasn't, he would be left behind. It was as simple as that. They had time though, after securing the districts, the rebels were regrouping. The Capitol was next, and they all had to make sure that they were prepared for that. Kailani would be fighting, and Finnick didn't want to be left behind. Not again, he wouldn't be able to bear it. Cashmere worked on him with weapons, while Kailani handled everything else. She was going to do all of it, but Finnick had seen a trident and her nearby, and rushed out of the room. There were just some things he wasn't ready for yet, that neither of them were ready for. Kailani would still wake in a panic, would still scramble away from Finnick until she realised where she was, what had happened. The first time it had happened had been the worse, he'd avoided her for days. It was something Finnick had grown used to by now. He knew, as well as she did, that it was going to take time for Kailani to be able to move on completely. It was getting better though, it didn't happen every night which was something. She hadn't spoken to Annie since rescuing her though. Kailani had spent years pretending, years lying for that woman. And despite everything, she was still that manipulative person. When Kailani saw her that was what she thought of. She hadn't seen her as a friend in a long time, nor did she particularly intend to change that. Finnick however, had wanted her to speak to his ex-girlfriend. Perhaps he felt bad for her. She had no one in Thirteen and while Finnick had brought himself to be amicable with her, Kailani hadn't.

"No, I haven't," said Kailani. "And I don't see why I should."

Finnick let out a long sigh, moving across the room to take her by the shoulders. "She's been worried for you, you know."

"Oh, do you two speak often?" There was a sharpness in her voice, but Finnick didn't flinch away. He'd returned to be much more like his former self since they'd gotten together and Kailani couldn't deny that she was relieved. Oh, she had done everything in her power to ignore him after they'd arrived in Thirteen but she did notice the change. How quiet he became, how lost he seemed to be. She just refused to believe that it had anything to do with her and if it did, Kailani wouldn't acknowledge it. He'd flinch away from her words, curl on in himself when she ignored him, often couldn't face looking at her, but still, she refused to care. That had changed now. She did care, as he held himself like the gorgeous victor he was, like the best-friend that had been there for her with nearly everything, the man she loved. Honestly, there was a part of her that didn't like the idea of him talking to Annie. After everything she had put them both through, it didn't seem fair.

"We don't talk often," said Finnick, simply. "Hardly ever, actually. But you can't avoid her forever Lani, especially when all of this is over and we go home."

"_If_ we go home," muttered Kailani.

Immediately, Finnick's grip on her tightened. "Don't say that," he snapped. "Of course we're going home, don't be ridiculous."

"Finnick…" He hadn't been out there, he was yet to grasp how dire the situation was. He didn't attend meetings, he wasn't in the loop, he didn't _know_. Yes, they might have secured the districts but entering the Capitol was a whole other thing entirely. She'd been there, she knew and they would have beefed up their security by now, preparing for an attack. There was every chance that they could die in there, and whether he liked it or not, Finnick would have to accept that.

"Look, you can't avoid Annie," said Finnick, pointedly changing the subject. "This isn't for her, it's for you. You guys need that closure, otherwise you'll never be able to move past it. You'll see her and be reminded of all of it."

"And you're not?" asked Kailani, incredulously. "Have you forgiven her?"

He frowned, unsure. "I don't think I was ever really angry with her." Kailani's eyes narrowed, and Finnick sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I mean, I was, of course I was but, there was just so much going on. And I was so filled with guilt for… for what I did to you, that I never really felt as angry as I should have. If I wasn't guilty, I was worried, or scared. I didn't have time to be angry. Even when I saw her, I was a little bit angry, I did feel that betrayal but above all else, I was worried about you." He swallowed, thickly. "You're all that's ever mattered, Lani."

Kailani softened at that, she couldn't help it. "_Fine,_" she said. "I'll talk to her, but just this once, and _just for you_."

He smiled, weakly. "I love you."

She took his face in her hands, and reached up to kiss him, lightly. "I know, and I love you too." Kailani grinned, "Now, go run five laps."

* * *

Kailani didn't want to do this, she really didn't. Too much had happened, had changed, she couldn't just pretend that everything was okay anymore and if she couldn't do that, she wasn't sure Annie would be able to handle her being angry with her, treating her like she was no better than the enemy. Was that really the best way to find closure? Probably not. But closure meant they came to some kind of understanding, that Kailani wasn't angry. She didn't think she would be able to settle to be anything less than that. Finnick just wanted what was best for her though and despite everything, he did know what she needed. Maybe this was it? She sighed, tiredly. This wasn't what she had wanted to do today. She'd intended to go and visit Johanna and Katniss, they hadn't killed each other yet which was a good sign. Kailani was so lost in her thoughts, she almost walked straight into Cashmere as she exited her room.

"Someone seems like they're out of it, what's going on?" she asked, curiously. Cashmere did like _knowing_ things, especially if it had to do with Kailani. She always had some kind of drama going on around her, she'd said before, it made things interesting. Well, it made things interesting for _her_.

"Nothing, nothing," said Kailani, shaking her head. "I'm fine. Have you seen Annie?"

Cashmere raised an eyebrow, "Why do you want to know where little miss crazy is?"

"She's not crazy." Her voice was tired. It was an argument she'd made many times before. She wasn't crazy, she was just a bit of a bitch. "And I just need to talk to her."

"About…?"

"Finnick's making me." Kailani couldn't be bothered to come up with some other excuse, whatever she thought of probably wouldn't make sense anyway. It was no secret that she didn't want to be anywhere near Annie, and Cashmere would know that well. "He thinks I need closure."

Cashmere scoffed, "Idiot."

"Hey, that's Finnick you're talking about," she said, warningly, and Cashmere rolled her eyes.

"As far as I know, Annie's in her room." They both glanced towards the door in question, and Kailani sighed. She really wasn't going to enjoy this, not at all. "Have fun," said Cashmere, before leaving her standing there alone. At the very least, Kailani wished that Finnick had come with her. She hadn't asked him too though, if she was going to do this, it should probably have been on her own. Still, she wasn't looking forward to it. With more than a little bit of reluctance, Kailani knocked on the door.

"Just a moment!" said Annie, and Kailani took a deep, calming breath. She thought of the ocean, calm and playful, the scent of sea salt in the air, and then the door slid open and all of the disappeared. Annie's eyes widened in surprise, and a flicker of fear. Kailani almost smiled at that. Good, so she knew better now. Before, it was as if she could get away with everything but it wasn't like that anymore. "K-Kailani, what are you doing here?"

"I thought we should talk," said Kailani, coolly. Annie looked no different than she had before, a little thinner but she'd always been thin. Her bright red hair was untamed, and as bright as ever. Without a word, she nodded, and Kailani brushed past her. The room was surprisingly clean, she'd never thought as Annie as being a clean person. She'd always been so wild, and unpredictable, Kailani had assumed that her room would reflect that.

"H-how's Finnick?" she asked, hovering by the door.

Kailani looked at her sharply, "I'm not here to talk about Finnick."

"Oh." Annie's gaze fell to the ground, as she shifted uncomfortably, wringing her hands anxiously. "I- I just assumed."

"As if I would discuss Finnick with you." Annie's eyes darted around, frantic but Kailani remained unmoving. If she had to endure this, then so would Annie. She'd agreed to talk with her, she hadn't agreed to be nice about it. "Do you realise how much you hurt him?"

"I do," whispered Annie, shakily.

"Would that ever have stopped you?"

"Probably not."

And that was the fact of it all. Annie would never have been able to stop cheating on Finnick, nor would she have been able to break up with him. She wouldn't have told him the truth, if Kailani had wanted to see anything happen, it would have had to have been up to her. She either would have had to tell him herself, which she did, or see him betrayed for years to come until finally, he found out some other way. What would have happened then? If the Quarter Quell had never happened, and they hadn't been forced into the Games once more, _what would have happened? _The only reason Finnick wasn't as angry as he should have been, was because of Kailani but if all of that hadn't of happened, then how would he have been? Could he ever have forgiven her for lying all of those years? A tear slipped down Annie's face, and Kailani scowled. She almost felt bad for her, but that was what Annie was so good at, making people feel bad for her. She always looked so innocent, like the world had broken her and she needed protecting, but Annie didn't need that or at least, she didn't deserve it. "I can barely stand to look at you," said Kailani, finally.

"I know," sniffled Annie. "I-I don't blame you. What I did was wrong, and I wish I felt guiltier about it but I don't, really. Maybe I'm not crazy, but there definitely is something wrong with me." Green eyes looked up, facing Kailani. "I know it doesn't excuse what I did, how I treated Finnick but at least- at least he's with who he was always meant to be with now."

"He was happy with you."

"But not as happy as he could have been, as he will be, _with you_." Suddenly, her eyes glazed over and Kailani sighed. She was gone, again.

"_Annie_," she said, firmly. Vaguely, Annie gave her, her attention. "Do you ever regret what you did, sleeping with all of those other men?"

"Regret?" questioned Annie. There was a sliver of understanding in her gaze now, the seriousness of the question breaking through anything else. "No, I don't think so." She tilted her head to the side, curiously. "Are you angry with me, Kailani?"

"Yes."

"Do you think you'll ever forgive me?"

"I don't know."

Annie nodded, more to herself than anyone else. "That's fair, if I were you, I wouldn't want to forgive me either."

* * *

Katniss felt sick, sick to her stomach. She hadn't expected Peeta to want to see her, let alone speak with her. It had come out of nowhere, but Haymitch explained that they'd even been letting him bake. Albeit, under strict armed guard. Sometimes, he even seemed like himself and then others… not so much. At least, that was what Haymitch said. He'd even spoken with Peeta, and now, she was about to do the same. Would he attack her like he did before? Would he scream and scream _and scream, _look at her as if she weren't even human? Katniss didn't know, she had no idea what to expect. An audience of doctors had assembled behind the one-way glass, Haymitch and Plutarch with them. Katniss wished they could have met privately, but that wasn't possible. As soon as Haymitch gave her the okay in the earpiece she wore, she slowly opened the door. His blue eyes locked on her instantly. Peeta had three restraints on each arm, and a tube that could dispense a knockout drug just in case he lost control. He didn't fight to free himself though, only observed her with the wary look of someone that hadn't quite ruled out that she was a mutt. Katniss walked over until she stood about a metre from the bed. With nothing else to do with her hands, she folded them protectively over her chest. "Hey."

"Hey," he responded. His voice sounded so familiar, it was like his voice but different. There was something new in it, an edge of suspicion and reproach.

"Haymitch said you wanted to talk to me."

"Look at you, for starters," he said, simply. He stared at her, as if waiting for her to transform into some hybrid drooling wolf right before his eyes. He stared so long, that Katniss couldn't help but glance in the direction of the one-way glass, hoping for some direction from Haymitch, but the earpiece stayed silent. "You're not very big, are you? Or particularly pretty?"

Katniss knew that he'd been through a lot, had been to hell and back, but there was something about the observation that rubbed her the wrong way. "Well, you've looked better."

Haymitch's advice to back off, was muffled by Peeta's laughter. "And not even remotely nice. To say that to me after all I've been through."

"Yeah, well, we've all been through a lot. And you're the one known for being nice, not me." This wasn't what she was meant to be doing, she wasn't meant to be arguing with him, she was meant to be kind to him, gentle with him. However, right now, all she wanted to do was scream at him. And if she stayed, that was exactly what she would do. She had to get out of there, she had to leave before she made everything worse. "Look, I don't feel so well. Maybe I'll drop by tomorrow."

Katniss had almost made it to the door, when his voice stopped her. "Katniss, I remember about the bread," he said. That had been the one time they'd had some real connection before everything had happened, before the Hunger Games, and the relationship.

"They showed you the tape of me talking about it," she said, carefully.

"No. Is there a tape of you talking about it? Why didn't the Capitol use it against me?" questioned Peeta, frowning.

"I made it the day you were rescued," answered Katniss. Pain wrapped around her chest, throbbing. "So, what do you remember?"

"You, in the rain," said Peeta, his voice soft. "Digging in our rubbish bins. Burning the bread. My mother hitting me. Taking the bread out for the pig but then giving it to you instead."

"That's it, that's what happened. The next day, after school, I wanted to thank you but I didn't know how."

"We were outside at the end of the day. I tried to catch your eye. You looked away. And then… for some reason, I think you picked a dandelion." Katniss nodded. "I must have loved you a lot."

"You did." Her voice caught, and she made an attempt to cover it with a cough. She didn't think she did a very good job of it.

"And did you love me?"

Katniss couldn't look at him, her eyes were fixed on the tiled floor beneath her feet. "Everyone says I did. Everyone says that's why Snow had you tortured. To break me."

"That's not an answer," he said, "I don't know what to think when they show me some of the tapes. In that first arena, it looked like you tried to kill me with those tracker jackers."

"I was trying to kill you, you had me treed."

"Later, there's a lot of kissing. Didn't seem very genuine on your part. Did you like kissing me?"

"Sometimes," admitted Katniss, "You know people are watching us now?"

"I know. What about Gale?"

She was getting angry again. This wasn't the business of all of those people behind the glass, taking their notes, making their observations. "He's not a bad kisser either," she said, shortly.

"And it was okay with both of us? You kissing the other?"

"No, it wasn't okay with either of you. But I wasn't asking your permission."

Peeta laughed again, coldly, dismissively. "Well, you're a piece of work, aren't you?"

Haymitch didn't protest when she walked out of there. And if anyone else did, she was too far away to hear it. She just needed to get away from everyone, from _everything_. Katniss walked down the hall, through the beehive of compartments, and to the one place she knew she could hide. It was where she had hidden before, and it was where she hid now. She ducked down behind a warm pipe in the laundry and just sat there. It took her a long time before she managed to get to the bottom of why she was so upset. The truth of it was almost too mortifying to admit. All of those months where she took Peeta thinking she was wonderful for granted, were over now. Now, he saw her for what she really was. Violent. Distrustful. Manipulative. Deadly.

And she hated him for that.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Well, I thought I'd bring in the New Year with another chapter! Good news everyone, I've finished the rest so updates will be consistent. From now on, it'll be weekly until the end! Thanks for the reviews, and keep them coming, they're fab! Xx**

**CHAPTER 11:**

"What do you mean, I'm not going to the Capitol?" yelled Katniss, bursting into the room, suddenly. "I have to go! I'm the Mockingjay!"

Was Kailani surprised that Katniss had interrupted their meeting unannounced? Not at all. She was bound to find out at some point and Kailani had warned them that she wouldn't be happy about the decision. If they were going after Snow, she would want to be there. Kailani had said it, Cashmere had said it, anyone who knew Katniss, had said something but no one would listen, they never did. Finnick only just managed to keep from frowning, as Coin barely even looked up from her screen. He'd been cleared for duty, but he had only been to a few meetings so far. He wasn't used to having to play games anymore, to saying things and meaning something else, to have an impenetrable mask up. He'd spent so long losing himself, he'd almost forgotten how to act that way. It was all coming back to him now though. Those kinds of skills never quite went away no matter how much you wished they did sometimes.

"And as the Mockingjay, your primary goal of unifying the districts against the Capitol has been achieved," said Coin, "Don't worry- if it goes well, we'll fly you in for the surrender."

The look on Katniss' face said it all. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She didn't want to be flown in once it was all over, she wanted to be there with everyone else, _she wanted to fight_. "That'll be too late! I'll miss all the fighting. You need me- I'm the best shot you've got!" she shouted, probably not wrong in that regard. "Gale's going."

"Gale has shown up for training every day unless occupied with other approved duties. We feel confident he can manage himself in the field. How many training sessions do you estimate you've attended?"

Katniss shifted, awkwardly. "Well, sometimes I was hunting. And… I trained with Beetee down in Special Weaponry."

"It's not the same, Katniss," said Boggs, "We all know you're smart and brave and a good shot. But we need soldiers in the field, you don't know the first thing about executing orders and you're not exactly at your physical peak."

"That didn't bother you when I was in Eight," countered Katniss, "Or Two for that matter."

Cashmere turned a sharp look to Katniss, a look of warning. "You weren't originally authorised for combat in either case," she said. If the girl kept going the way she was, she would reveal much more than she was supposed to and all of them, would be in trouble. Katniss seemed to realise that too, saying nothing more on the subject.

"And both resulted in your injury," said Boggs.

Kailani decided to give the girl a break, to take a risk. They'd only barely approved Finnick and it wouldn't take much for that to get revoked. And Coin did so hate, being argued with. However, they still had time. Katniss wouldn't be the only one who would want to fight, Gloss and Johanna would want to do the same. If they could do it, they deserved the chance. There would be nothing worse for them then having to sit back and wait, unable to fight, unable to do anything. "This whole battle will be about surviving," said Kailani, carefully. "If anyone knows how to survive, it's Katniss. She is a skilled fighter, with or without your training, and we need every skilled fighter that we can get. If she can prove that, if _they_, Gloss and Johanna too, can prove that, shouldn't we let them?" Coin's cold grey eyes flickered to her, and Kailani met them head on. This woman didn't scare her, and after everything she and Cashmere had done for them, the least they deserved was an opinion. She probably didn't see it that way though. Hell, most of Thirteen probably didn't see it that way.

"I have to go," said Katniss, again. There was a hint of desperation in her voice, and Coin looked at her, instead.

"Why?" she asked.

Katniss hesitated, perhaps trying to think of the best answer. "Because of Twelve," she said, finally. "Because they destroyed my district."

"Well, you have three weeks. It's not long, but you can begin training. If the Assignment Board deems you fit, possibly your case will be reviewed." That was the best she was going to get, and Katniss knew it. She nodded, acceptingly, and the meeting droned it. They'd had so many meetings of late, they all just blurred together now. It was always the same thing, always going over the strategies and the plans. If there was a slight change, a three hour meeting would be called to discuss it. Most of the time people like Katniss and Finnick, got to avoid such meetings. Kailani and Cashmere however, were not so lucky. That was what they got for being so involved in the war, for leading parties out and taking back districts. It was exhausting work, but at least Kailani had someone to go back to now. Having Finnick there just made everything so much better, it didn't compare to the life she'd been living before. This- this was what living was. Loving, and being loved in return. And it was Finnick, _her Finnick_. She felt safe with him. She might not have before, but she did now, even if her subconscious still disagreed sometimes. The hardest thing for them to overcome, had been training together. And not the fitness, physical kind of training, it was the sparring that was the biggest issue. She with her spear, and he with his trident. It had been a little too close to _that day_ for comfort. Finnick was fearful and a part of her, didn't trust him enough to do it. They got there though, eventually. They'd had to take it slow, but they did it. Soon, she expected they would be able to spar just like they had before. Fierce, strong, _trusting_.

Coin had allowed the others to train, in the end. Johanna was in the same group with Katniss, while Gloss was two levels up. As it turned out, ever since he had been released from the infirmary, he'd been training himself in his room. Kailani had rolled her eyes at that, that was so very _him_. Three weeks wasn't long to be able to get back into shape but if anyone could do it, it was those three without a doubt. They were _not_ going to miss out on their opportunity to go after Snow, there was no way in hell. She wished they could have trained together. None of them belonged here, in this underground hole. To train with these people, these people that probably didn't trust them all that much, it would have been hard. They could have done better all together but Coin probably saw that as too much of a risk. She was like Snow in that way, he didn't like it when victors joined together, it was dangerous, and rightly so. Look what had happened the last time. They'd started a rebellion, formed an alliance within the Games themselves and got Katniss well away from him. Oh yes, victors could be dangerous. But they were also still human.

A woman that had suffered, was what Kailani saw in Johanna one afternoon. She and Katniss had moved into a compartment together, probably the only way they would have been able to leave the infirmary, but Katniss wasn't here right now. Kailani had heard from Soldier York, how well they'd both been going in their training. They had a long way to go, but they'd been persevering. It was what she'd heard of Johanna that concerned her the most. Unsteady hands, a frailty about her. Injured and tortured or not, that didn't sound like Johanna. But that was exactly what she saw, when Kailani went to visit.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," said Johanna, lying on her side on the bed, weak and pale.

Kailani frowned, closing the door behind her as she stepped into the room. It was a bombshell, but she didn't comment on it. "That's because you look like one," said Kailani, sitting on the bed across from her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I have nothing to talk about."

"Okay," said Kailani, unconvincingly.

Johanna rolled her eyes, still managing to look irritated. "I don't like how the situations seemed to have reversed with us," she said, "You're supposed to be the one in denial."

"Oh, I was. Ask Cashmere, I did her head in."

"I'm sure." With some amount of reluctance, Johanna pushed herself up so that she was sitting. She leaned heavily against the headboard, her eyes tired, a slight tremor still in her hands. Kailani noticed all of it, but she would be patient with her. She didn't want to push Johanna, if she wasn't in the mood to talk. "How are you and Finnick?"

Kailani shrugged, "Better. We can fight each other now though the first time we started I woke up with such bad nightmares I couldn't touch him for an hour. He sulked for days, afterwards." A part of her hoped that if she revealed something unpleasant, Johanna would do the same. She didn't _really_ think it would work, but it was worth a try.

"Haven't gotten past all of that crap yet? I'm surprised," said Johanna. "I figured the moment you two got together all of that would have been forgotten."

Kailani smiled, sadly. "It's not that easy."

"No, I suppose not. He did try to kill you and all that."

Kailani resisted the urge to cringe. She hated hearing it like that, like it was all fact and nothing else. They did talk about it, but it was still hard, a little part of her was still hurt. How happy he made her now, was slowly making up for it though. One day, there would be too many happy memories to even remember those kinds of things. At least, she hoped there would be. Kailani didn't know what she'd do if she couldn't get over it, if it was something that would haunt her for years to come. What if she never stopped having nightmares? What if Finnick had to wake up to her being terrified for the rest of his life? "Sorry, shouldn't have said that," said Johanna, watching her carefully.

Kailani shook her head, "Its fine," she said, thickly. "It's the truth, isn't it?"

Johanna looked up, and studied the roof as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. There was a long silence, both of them lost in their own thoughts before Johanna broke it again. "I thought I'd managed to survive Snow," she said, quietly. "I thought that apart from how I looked, his torture hadn't effected me." Kailani didn't know what to say, so she said nothing. She waited for Johanna to continue and as expected, she did. "Time and time again, he would dunk me in water, make sure I was soaked through before they shocked me with electricity." Her voice was hoarse, her eyes unseeing. "It hurt, it hurt like a bitch. Every time I thought, _I hoped_, that maybe I was dying, but I never did. In the infirmary, it wasn't so much of a problem but today, I was out there training. It was raining, I must have been soaked after the first lap and I don't know-" She shook her head, "It was too much. I can't stand it, I can't stand to feel water in skin. I haven't showered or had a bath since I've been here, every time I close my eyes I swear I can feel it all happening again. Even just being sweaty, I feel like any second, the electricity is going to come again, the never ending pain." Johanna was breathing heavily and Kailani moved, placing herself on the end of her bed. She didn't reach out to her though, Johanna wouldn't want that. "How the hell am I meant to fight in this war if I can't even handle a little water?" she questioned, angrily.

Kailani placed a hand on her leg, and somehow managed to keep her own pain at hearing what they'd done to her, from her face. "Well, you handled it today, didn't you?" Johanna looked incredulous and Kailani sighed. "I spoke to Soldier Lock. You might not have been the fastest in the group, but you did try, you didn't give up, even in the rain. There was no mention of that when we were talking about you and Katniss. Hell, you were running out there longer than she was-"

"I can't even put a gun together," she hissed, "I shake that much."

"So? You'll learn to make the shaking stop. Johanna I've known you a long time, you've been through so much and still, you're the strongest person I know. If it came down to a fight, you'd even kick Gloss's ass."

Johanna scoffed at that, "Of course I fucking would, he's got nothing on me." A small smirk twitched at her lips. "Even if he does have a nice ass." Both of them laughed, and Kailani was pleased to see that Johanna looked a little more like herself. Still tired, still thin as a rake, but a glimmer of fire in her eyes. She could do this, Kailani knew she could.

* * *

Finnick grinned at Johanna, as she and Katniss sat at their table, trays of lunch in their hands. It was good seeing them both up and about. Johanna more than Katniss, given how she'd been not so long ago. He would probably never be able to get the image of her limp on a stretcher out of his head, she was so still she could have been dead. But she was here now, as much of a fighter as ever. Theirs was an interesting little group, one to envy he thought. Kailani sat next to him, and seated around them were Cashmere, Gloss, Gale, Delly, and now, Katniss and Johanna. If there were a group of deadlier human beings, he couldn't see one. And that was discounting Delly, who probably couldn't have done much. Finnick didn't know her very well, but she'd been helping with Peeta apparently. But it felt good, being with friends again, having Kailani with him, Finnick almost felt normal again. If not for the fact that they were preparing for a war that could see them all killed. He tried not to think about that too much.

It felt like everyone was in a better mood, with food to eat, the atmosphere around them was light. It was enough to have him tell the story of that time when he was twelve and a sea turtle swam off with his hat. Kailani still didn't believe that it had happened, but _it did_. He swore on everything he owned, that it had happened. She just hadn't been there to see it. Everyone around the table laughed, but it trailed off quickly, once another presence made himself known. Peeta hovered behind the empty chair next to Johanna, and Katniss momentarily choked on her food.

"Peeta!" said Delly, saving all of them from their discomfort. "It's nice to see you out… and about."

Two guards stood behind him, and he held his tray awkwardly, balanced on his fingertips since his wrists were shackled. They might have been letting him out of his cell, but it was clear that it had to be with supervision. Finnick couldn't decide whether he was glad, or felt bad for the boy. Snow had changed him for the worst, turning him against Katniss, but did that make him deserve all of this? He wasn't so sure. He supposed it had more to do with his unpredictability than anything else. "What's with the fancy bracelets?" asked Johanna.

"I'm not quite trustworthy yet," said Peeta, "I can't even sit here without your permission." He indicated to the guards with his head.

"Sure he can sit here. We're old friends," said Johanna, patting the space behind her. "Peeta, Gloss and I all had adjoining cells in the Capitol. We're very familiar with each other's screams." Finnick glanced over at Gloss, who didn't look all that pleased to be mentioned. Aside from a few minor injuries and general malnourishment, he seemed to have been able to escape the Capitol rather well considering. Finnick didn't know what they'd done to him in there, and Gloss no doubt preferred it that way. He glared at Johanna, and she just shrugged. "What? My head doctor says I'm not supposed to censor my thoughts. It's part of my therapy," she replied.

"You've never censored anything in your life," said Gloss, as Peeta sat down.

Johanna looked offended, "Of course I have! Once or twice." She grinned, "Actually, much more than that if we count the times I didn't say anything about you and Kailani fucking around with each other. Or how she's been pining after Finnick for years, or-"

"We get the point," interrupted Kailani, less than amused. "I don't know how I managed to get dragged into all of this."

"Because you're so easy?" said Johanna.

"Thanks."

Finnick finished off the last of his meal, and got to his feet, looking down at Kailani. "Come on, we should go if you want to get in some training," he said. No doubt, she knew what he was doing but she was grateful nonetheless, allowing him to pull her up.

"Training or… having sex?" asked Gloss, unable to help himself. His eyes gleamed, and Johanna grinned at him.

"Use your imagination," said Kailani.

"Oh, I intend too."

Finnick scowled. He wouldn't say that he was jealous of Gloss, Finnick knew that he was just messing around, trying to rile him up for his own entertainment but still, a part of him hated that he'd gotten Kailani for so long. In some ways, he knew her better than Finnick did and that just didn't sit well with him. He had been there for her when Finnick hadn't, he had seen her in a way that Finnick never would. He would have been lying, if he said that it didn't bother him.

Kailani rolled her eyes, "Come along, Finnick," she said, pulling his hand slightly. He let her, but just this once.

* * *

The three weeks they had to prepare, passed by quickly. It didn't feel like nearly enough time but there was nothing Kailani could do about that. She and Finnick had both been assigned to the sharpshooter squad. Their long distance aim with a trident and spear, respectively, was more than enough to see to that. It was a relief, being on the same squad though Kailani was more a Lieutenant than she was just a Soldier. She didn't mention that to him though, it seemed unnecessary. A surprise addition to their squad, had been Katniss. Clearly, she had managed to make it through her exams. Scanning the room, she saw Gloss and Cashmere in another squad, but a distinct lack of Johanna in the room. Kailani was worried, but she'd have to save that until later. Right now, it was all business. Gale was also with them, which was no surprise. And another five that Kailani didn't know, with Boggs at the lead. It was a good group, a strong group. They all stood obediently in Command, listening intently as Plutarch made his presentation. He pressed a button and a holographic image of a block of the Capitol was projected into the air.

"This, for example, is the area surrounding one of the Peacekeepers' barracks. Not unimportant, but not the most crucial of targets and yet look." Plutarch entered a code into the computer and the lights flashed. There were an assortment of colours and each blinked at different speeds. Kailani chanced a small glance at Finnick. He wouldn't have seen this yet, but he would soon realise what it was they were going up against. "Each light is called a pod," continued Plutarch, "It represents a different obstacle, the nature of which could be anything from a bomb to a band of mutts. Make no mistake, whatever it contains is designed to either trap or kill you. Some have been in place since the Dark Days, others developed over the years. To be honest, I created a fair number myself. This programme, which one of our people absconded with when we left the Capitol, is our most recent information. They don't know we have it. But even so, it's likely that new pods have been activated in the last few months. This is what you will face."

Katniss drifted forward, her gaze fixed on the hologram as she reached out to cup a rapidly blinking green light. Finnick and Gloss had both moved closer as well, their muscles tense, their faces unreadable. Kailani knew what they saw, what the streets of the Capitol resembled. It was the arena, with obstacles controlled by the Gamemakers. You either win, or you die. She and Cashmere exchange looks, from across the room. Neither were surprised that this had happened, they'd done the same thing when they had first seen it too. They had felt that shock, that horror, that _irony._ Finnick reached out to caress a steady red glow, fixed over a doorway. His voice was quiet, as he spoke. "Ladies and gentlemen…"

"Let the Seventy-Sixth Hunger Games begin!" finished Katniss, her voice ringing around the room. She laughed briefly, before looking at Plutarch. "I don't even know why you bothered to put us lot through training, Plutarch." She didn't need to clarify who exactly she meant. She meant them, _the victors_. If Kailani had known any of this earlier, she probably would have agreed. They didn't need training for this, this they knew far better than any of their soldiers ever could.

"Yeah, we're already the best-equipped soldiers you have," added Gloss, cockily.

"Do not think that fact escapes me," said Plutarch, with an impatient wave. "Now back in line, Soldiers Odair, Lechten and Everdeen. I have a presentation to finish." All three of them retreated back to their places. A number of questioning looks were thrown their way, but they all ignored it. If they had anything else to say on the matter, they remained quiet. Instead, they simply listened, along with everyone else as Plutarch finished up. That was, until Finnick pulled her aside and both Gloss and Cashmere gravitated over to them.

"You both knew," stated Gloss, without emotion. His eyes flickered between Kailani, and his sister, observantly. There was no point in lying, he would know anyway.

Cashmere shrugged, "Of course we did," she said, "We've been involved in all of this for too long, to be kept out of the loop."

"You didn't think to mention anything?" questioned Finnick.

"There was no point," said Kailani, with a sigh. "It wouldn't have changed anything, and we only found out a day ago ourselves. Besides, the information wasn't to leave Command, Coin specifically singled as out. She would have found out, and she would have had all of our heads when she did."

"Yes, we prefer not to anger her too much, if possible," said Cashmere, "You have to pick your battles."

"If we'd have said anything, she probably would have made both of you stay behind. Is that what you would want?"

Before anyone had the chance to answer, Haymitch appeared, Katniss trailing after him. "Johanna's back in the hospital," he stated.

Kailani could feel the worry spread through her, "Is she hurt?" she questioned, "What happened?"

"It was while she was on the Block." That was where the new recruits were tested and marked on their performances. It was obvious that Katniss had passed, but Johanna… something must have happened. "They try to ferret out a soldier's potential weakness," he explained, "So they flooded the street."

"Fuck," muttered Gloss. He was there in the Capitol with her, he had to have known what they did to her. The water, the electric shocks. It was still too much for Johanna. She could fight and kill better than any of them but _that_\- that she wasn't ready to handle. Without a word, he spun on his heel and stalked away. No doubt, to see Johanna.

Johanna had been under sedation when Finnick, Kailani and Cashmere had gone to see her. She was alone when they arrived, Gloss having already been and gone. None of them mentioned how strange that was, it wasn't any of their businesses. She looked so small, curled up in the bed. They often forgot things like that when they were around her. Johanna was strong, and to see her like this, it wasn't right. Johanna might not get the chance to make Snow pay, but they would. They would make sure he got what he deserved, for everything he'd done, for everyone he'd killed, for Johanna, for Mags, for Peeta, for everyone.

In the last few days of training before shipment, they worked out in the morning, and the rest of their time was spent on the shooting range. Most of it with a gun, but some with their own specialty weapons. Honestly, it reminded Kailani of those days of training before the Hunger Games. It was all the same, all life and death. This time though, they just had a better chance of surviving. There could be more than one winner, this time.

Along with Finnick, Katniss and Gale, the squad included five soldiers from Thirteen. Jackson, a middle-aged woman who would have been Boggs's second in command if not for Kailani. A pair of sisters both named Leeg, though for clarity they named them Leeg 1 and Leeg 2, and two older guys, Mitchell and Homes. Not even Kailani, had any idea of what they were going to be doing out in the field, not until the morning that Plutarch joined them.

* * *

"Squad Four-Five-One, you have been selected for a special mission," began Plutarch. Katniss bit her lip, hoping against all hope that it was to assassinate Snow. "We have numerous sharpshooters, but rather a dearth of camera crews. Therefore, we've hand-picked the nine of you to be what we call our 'Star Squad'. You will be the on-screen faces of the invasion."

Disappointment, shock, and then anger ran through the group. "What you're saying is, we won't be in actual combat," snapped Gale.

"You will be in combat, but perhaps not always on the front line. If one can even isolate a front line in this type of war," said Plutarch.

"None of us wants that," remarked Finnick, followed by a general mumble of assent from their group.

"We want to fight," said Kailani, firmly. "We're _going_ to fight." She'd been handling this for months, she'd been out there fighting she wasn't about to be sidelined now. Katniss could practically see the fire in her eyes, as she fixed Plutarch with a look. If he was bothered by it, he didn't show it.

"You're going to be as useful to the war effort as possible," he said, diplomatically. "And it's been decided that you are of most value on television. Just look at the effect Katniss had running around in that Mockingjay suit. Turned the whole rebellion around. Do you notice how she's the only one not complaining? It's because she understands the power of that screen."

Actually, Katniss wasn't complaining because she had no intention of staying with the 'Star Squad', but she knew how important it was to get to the Capitol before carrying out any plan. Still, she didn't want to be too compliant, that could have aroused suspicion as well. "But it's not all pretend, is it?" she asked, "That'd be a waste of talent."

"Don't worry. You'll have plenty of real targets to hit. But don't get blown up, I've got enough on my plate without having to replace you," said Plutarch, "Now get to the Capitol and put on a good show."

* * *

They shipped them out almost immediately, giving each of them just a few hours to gather what they needed and to say their necessary farewells. Kailani was still angry, Finnick could see it in the stiff line of her shoulders, in the unhappy scowl that graced her face. She'd put in so much work, done everything for these people, and she felt they were throwing it back in her face. Cashmere was no different. She had stormed up to them and demanded to know what they were going to be doing. Apparently, they'd placed her and Gloss in some kind of glorified clean-up crew as well. It wasn't the 'Star Squad', a ridiculous name if Finnick had ever heard one, but it was definitely just as bad. She was pissed, but she knew that if she argued, they'd probably keep her from going anywhere. From the looks of them, both Kailani and Cashmere were beginning to think that they had never intended to let any of them fight in this war. They were there for one reason and one reason only, to be the pretty faces. The ironic thing was, they were all the most qualified to deal with this kind of war. The kind that reflected the Hunger Games, the brutality, and cruelness of it. Still, there was nothing that could be done about it. At the very least, they would all be in the Capitol.

A hovercraft took them to District Twelve, before they were transported as close to the Capitol as they could get. It was a multiple day journey in a cramped cargo car, and then a six hour trek on foot. They came out of the dark tunnels that led them there, and into the rebel encampment. It was already crawling with soldiers, and Squad 451 was assigned a spot to pitch its tents. The area had been secure for over a week, as Kailani had reluctantly informed them. Rebels had pushed out the Peacekeepers, losing hundreds of lives in the process. The Capitol forces had fell back and now regrouped further into the city. All that laid between them were the booby-trapped streets, waiting to be swept of pods before they could advance. There wasn't even a threat of air-bombing, with the Capitol saving whatever airships they had left for their own purposes.

After three days, most of Squad 451 risked deserting out of sheer boredom. They could give them all the dumb names they wanted, all of them knew they weren't contributing much to this war. They were being wasted, and it was enough to drive anyone insane. Cressida and her team took shots of them all firing. Apparently, they were a part of something called the disinformation team. What they did, was throw the Capitol off from realising that they had information regarding the pods. If they just shot at them, they would know in an instant that they'd been compromised. So, what they did, was shoot at anything and everything in between as well. There was a lot of time spent shattering things that didn't matter, throwing them off the scent. Every once in a while a real sharpshooter's services were needed. Nine hands would always go up, but Finnick, was never chosen. Neither were Gale and Katniss. A serious talk with Boggs was all that got Kailani the occasional job. She was the second in command, she had to do _something_ every now and again. At least, that was the argument she had gone with and Boggs hadn't refused it. However, Finnick thought it was obvious that none of them really seemed to know what to do with the four of them. They weren't from Thirteen, they weren't even soldiers, they were survivors, stars in the eyes of the Capitol, and that was about it.

On the fourth morning, Soldier Leeg 2 hit a mislabelled pod. It didn't unleash a swarm of muttation gnats as it was supposed to, but shot out a sunburst of metal darts instead. One found her brain, and she was gone before the medics even got close. Plutarch promised them a speedy replacement, and by the following evening, the newest member of their squad arrived. Finnick could feel the shock rush through him, and he looked around. He definitely wasn't the only one. Peeta strolled out of the train, no manacles, no guards, and a gun swinging from the strap over his shoulder. It wasn't a joke, Peeta had 451 stamped on the back of his hand in fresh ink. He really had been assigned to their squad. Without a word, Boggs relieved him of his weapon and left to make a call.

"It won't matter," said Peeta, unconcerned. "The President assigned me herself. She decided the propos needed some heating up."

She probably wasn't wrong, but Finnick had learned in the Hunger Games that every little thing that happened, tended to be a sign. A sign that the Gamemakers were getting bored, were growing impatient. This might have been a war, but this whole thing was no different. And Peeta being here, standing here before them, wasn't a good sign. Not at all.


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER 12:**

Coin considered her a problem. That was the message Katniss received loud and clear, the moment Peeta arrived in camp. He was meant to be there, Boggs had confirmed it himself. And if he was there, it meant that Coin wanted Katniss dead. She wasn't as important as she once was, Katniss had done what she'd needed to do by unifying the districts and now, what was left for her? She could be killed in the fighting and used as a martyr. Not only would it give everyone something to fight for, but it would solve all of Coin's problems. Once this war was over, and Snow was dead, she intended to be President. Boggs explained it all to her, everything that she'd been missing. If anyone was a threat to her leadership, it would be Katniss. All she had to do was put her support behind someone else, and all of Coin's plans would be ruined. Katniss was a threat, and she knew it. Still, it wasn't as if Peeta knew any of that. It was easy to blame him, to snap at him, but a pointed phone call from Haymitch, made Katniss realise that it wasn't his fault. If the situations had been reversed, if it had been Peeta in her place, he would never have treated her, as she had been treating him. It wasn't fair, he couldn't help what he did, he couldn't help that Snow had changed everything about him, and he couldn't help that Coin was using him now, to unwittingly fulfil her wishes. This wasn't his fault, and Katniss had to remember that.

They kept a constant two-person guard on Peeta, watching him 24/7. She wasn't going to be included in the rotation, but Boggs had vouched for her and she'd been paired with Jackson. Peeta sat up in his sleeping bag, close to the heater, making clumsy attempts to tie knots in a short piece of rope. It was one that Katniss recognised, it was the one that Finnick had lent her that night in the bunker. It was like he was telling her the same thing that Haymitch had, that Katniss had abandoned her attempts to help him, that she'd been blaming him when he shouldn't have been blamed. Her eyes flickered over to Finnick, he and Kailani were both asleep close to the heat. They didn't sleep in the tents, preferred to be outside, and as close to the heat as they could get. Maybe it reminded them of home, a little bit. The warmth, the fresh air. Katniss didn't know, but she couldn't deny that seeing them together made her a little jealous. Happy, but jealous. She wondered if this was how Finnick had felt, that night Katniss and Peeta had been lying next to each other in the Games, and he'd ruined everything for himself. Katniss resisted the urge to sigh, glancing at Peeta. She should have been trying to fix things, she should have said something, anything, that might ease the tension between them but she couldn't do it, she just couldn't think of anything.

After about an hour, Peeta spoke up. "These last couple of years must have been exhausting for you. Trying to decide whether to kill me or not. Back and forth. Back and forth."

That didn't seem fair, and as tempted as Katniss was to make some kind of cutting remark, she restrained herself. That wasn't a good way to fix the things that she'd done. "I never wanted to kill you," she said, "Except when I thought you were helping the Careers kill me. After that, I always thought of you as… an ally."

"Ally," said Peeta, slowly, tasting the word. "Friend. Lover. Victor. Enemy. Fiancée. Target. Mutt. Neighbour. Hunter. Tribute. Ally. I'll add it to the list of words I use to try and figure you out." He weaved the rope in and out of his fingers. "The problem is, I can't tell what's real anymore, and what's made up."

The lack of rhythmic breathing around their campsite, suggested that people had either woken up, or never actually been asleep at all. Katniss suspected the latter, and it was Finnick's voice that rose from the bundle of him and Kailani, not too far away. "Then you should ask, Peeta," he said, "That was what Annie used to do."

It was impossible to tell from the distance, and lack of light, if Kailani was bothered by the mention of Annie. If it had been Katniss, she probably would have been. "Ask who?" questioned Peeta, "Who can I trust?"

"Well, us for starters," said Jackson, "We're your squad."

"You're my guards," he pointed out.

"That too, but you saved a lot of lives in Thirteen. It's not the kind of thing we forget."

* * *

All of them, they devised a kind of game for Peeta, a way to help him. It was Jackson that had come up with it, and Kailani thought it was genius. It was called 'Real or Not Real', and if Peeta mentioned something he thought had happened, they would tell him whether it was true or imagined, usually followed by a brief explanation.

"Most of the people from Twelve were killed in the fire."

"Real," said Jackson, "Less than nine hundred of you made it to Thirteen alive."

"The fire was my fault."

"Not real. President Snow destroyed Twelve the way he did Thirteen, to send a message to the rebels."

It wasn't easy on Katniss, Kailani knew that. But Peeta needed this, he needed their help, hers most of all. And Katniss seemed to be handling it well enough, for the most part. They all answered what they could, whenever he had questions. They did still have a job to do though, as pointless as it was. The people weren't dumb, some of them would have to know that this was all fake. They could intercut this footage with as much _real_ footage as they liked, it wouldn't make it any better. However this time, Cressida seemed intent on getting something useable. A fairly complicated propo was set up, and a special block was staged just for them to film. And that was about it, just to film. There was no strategic important to it, it was nothing more than a set with a few active pods on it to make things dramatic. They would all be suited up in their heavy protective gear, armed with weapons, even Peeta, though his gun was filled with blanks. The camera crew also intended to provide a sense of heightened jeopardy by releasing smoke bombs and adding gunfire sound effects. It was all for show, and Kailani hated it. People were out there dying, and they were all just playing around.

"You're an Avox, aren't you?" asked Peeta, suddenly. His eyes were fixed on Pollux, one of the cameramen. "I can tell by the way you swallow. There were two Avoxes with me in prison, Darius and Lavinia but the guards mostly called them the redheads. They'd been our servants in the Training Centre, so they arrested them, too. I watched them being tortured to death. She was lucky. They used too much voltage and her heart stopped right off. It took days to finish him off. Beating, cutting off parts. They kept asking him questions, but he couldn't speak, he just made these horrible animal sounds. They didn't want information, you know? They wanted me to see it." Peeta looked around at their stunned faces, as if waiting for a reply. When none was forthcoming he asked, "Real or not real?" The lack of response only upset him more. "Real or not real!?" he demanded.

"Real," said Boggs. "At least, to the best of my knowledge… real."

Peeta slumped, "I thought so. There was nothing… shiny about it." He wandered away from the group, muttering about fingers and toes.

With Peeta's grisly account still fresh on their minds, they crunched through the streets of broken glass until they reach their target, the block that they were supposed to take. There were two active pods in the area, one that sprayed gunfire, and another that trapped the invader in a net. The gunfire pod was positioned about a third of the way down, just above an awning. If everything went right, they should have been able to trigger it with gunfire. While, the net pod was at the far end, almost around the corner. This required someone to set off the body sensor mechanism. Everyone volunteered, except Peeta. In his defence though, he didn't seem to be very aware of what was going on. Needless to say, Kailani wasn't chosen. The squad positioned themselves under Boggs's direction, and once everyone was in place, cameras and all, Cressida called, "Action!"

Smokebombs filled their vision, as they moved slowly down the booby-trapped street. Everyone had at least one section of windows to blow out, but it was Gale that was assigned with taking out the real target. He hit the pod, and all of them took cover- ducking into doorways, or flattening onto the paving stones- as a hail of bullets swept back and forth over their heads. After a while, Boggs ordered them forward. However, Cressida needed more shots. She'd gotten the whole scene, now she needed some close-ups. They all had to take turns re-enacting their responses. They fell to the ground, grimaced, dove into alcoves. It was supposed to be serious, but all of them felt ridiculous. And in the end, after Mitchell attempted to portray his version of desperation which involved a lot of teeth grinding and nostril flaring, all of them were in fits of laughter. They were so bad, that Boggs had to reprimand them.

"Pull it together, Four-Five-One," he said, firmly. But even he, was suppressing a smile as he double-checked the next pod. He positioned the Holo, which detailed all of the pod locations in the street, in an attempt to find the best light in order to read it. He stepped back, still facing them, and a bomb exploded.

* * *

The blast ripped through the street, shattering glass, throwing them from their feet, blowing off Boggs's legs. A second explosion, seemed to split the air and left his ears ringing, but he couldn't pinpoint where it had come from. Their laughter, had turned to screams and blood stained the ground. Finnick couldn't help but look around for Kailani. She met his gaze, briefly. And then they set to work. His eyes found Messalla, unconscious next to a wall. He must have been thrown into it, and as he fell down next to him, he realised his heart had stopped altogether. The shock, maybe. Finnick just needed to get it going again, and he should be fine. Boggs though, there was no way he was going to make it. Jackson was yelling into a field communicator, calling for medics but it wouldn't matter. They wouldn't be able to do anything, not now.

"We need to get off the street!" yelled Kailani, helping Cressida to her feet.

Jackson nodded, "Prepare to retreat," she said. It would have been a good idea, if it had been possible. But a fountain of black, oily matter was pouring from the street, billowing between the buildings and creating an impenetrable wall of darkness. He couldn't tell if it was a liquid or a gas, but there was no doubt in his mind that it was lethal. He'd experienced the fog firsthand, he knew what the Capitol was capable of.

"We can't," said Finnick, loudly, nodding towards the end of the street they'd come in. "It's blocked off." Messalla was breathing again, and he looked at him, blearily. At least, he was conscious.

Kailani looked over at Gale and Leeg 1, "Shoot ahead," she ordered, "Try and clear any other pods if there are some. We can't rely on the information we have, clearly." They did, and it didn't take long for them to set off another explosion. The force of it opened a hole in the street, and slowly, they began to move once more. Finnick carried Messalla, he wasn't nearly steady enough to be able to hold himself upright. Kailani was helping Cressida, Homes and Katniss were dragging Boggs. They shouldn't have bothered. If they were kind, they would have put him out of his misery. And then, Finnick saw Peeta. He didn't have to see the gun raised above Katniss' head, to know that he'd lost it. She managed to dodge the blow, before Mitchell tackled Peeta and pinned him to the ground. Somehow though, Peeta managed to get his feet under Mitchell's belly and launched him further down the block. There was a loud snap, as the pod triggered. Four cables, attached to tracks on the buildings, broke through the stones and dragged up the net that encased Mitchell. It made no sense, how instantly bloodied he was, not until they saw the barbs sticking out of the wire that encased him. That could have been any of them, they'd almost volunteered for that. Gale and Leeg 1 shot through the front door lock of the corner building, and Katniss and Homes resumed dragging Boggs, straight inside. Castor and Pollux had Peeta now, though he snarled and struggled against them, and they followed him in. Gale and Leeg 1 were attempting to shoot down Mitchell, but Finnick knew they wouldn't have enough time. The wave of the black substance was beginning to close in on them, the smell thick and tarlike filling their senses. It made Finnick want to gag, as Kailani shoved him and Messalla along, urging them inside. Cressida stumbled past them, Jackson with her, into the apartment. Finnick didn't want to go in, if Kailani wasn't there too though.

"Enough!" choked out Kailani, grabbing Gale and Leeg 1 by the arms. "There's nothing we can do for him now."

Together, they all got inside and slammed the door shut. The noxious tar smell still permeated the air though, and as they found their way to the kitchen, they closed that door too, and immediately began blocking up the gaps. Towels and aprons were used to stuff into the cracks, as Gale moved over to the sink and retched. Kailani was still coughing, in the corner of the room, as Peeta yelled and banged against the closet door he had been thrown into, until finally, it seemed he had run out of energy and silence fell over them. All that could be heard was their heavy breathing, and the occasional cough as they tried to recover. Finnick's gaze moved over to Boggs, his still, bloodied form.

"He's gone?" he asked, glancing at Katniss. She nodded, "We need to get out of here, now. We just set off a streetful of pods, you can bet they've got us on surveillance tapes."

"Count on it," said Castor, "All the streets are covered by surveillance cameras. I bet they set off the black wave manually when they saw us taping the propo."

"Our radio communicators went dead almost immediately. Probably an electromagnetic pulse device," said Jackson, "But I can get us back to camp, as long as I have the Holo."

Kailani frowned, her eyes narrowing at the other woman. Finnick had noted a certain tension between them. Or at least, from Jackson. She didn't like Kailani much, though she was nothing but polite to her. Kailani had told him it was because she thought she was meant to be second in command, but Coin had given to her. It was probably just a poor attempt to keep them happy, they were always going to be assigned this job. Cashmere was second in command in her group as well. That didn't make what they were doing, any better though. "You know exactly who that Holo goes too next, Jackson," she said, coolly. "You can help _me_, get us back to camp."

Jackson looked like she'd been slapped, but before she could respond, Katniss spoke up. "Actually, Boggs gave it to me." She clutched the Holo close to her chest.

"Don't be ridiculous," said Jackson, snappily. It was one thing for Kailani to want the Holo, but for Katniss to have it, that was probably one step too far.

"It's true," said Homes. "He transferred the prime security clearance to her while he was dying, I saw it."

"Why would he do that?" demanded Jackson.

"It doesn't matter why," said Kailani, saving Katniss from answering. She must have seen something in her face, some kind of ulterior motive. He'd always suspected she had one, she'd been far too agreeable about this whole thing. Katniss wanted Snow dead as much as any of them, she was never just going to sit back and let someone else do it. "The point is that he did, he must have had some reason and we should respect that."

"You can't be serious," said Jackson.

"I am very serious. Katniss can be in charge of the Holo, she can handle it."

"But what I want to know is _why_. She's lying, there's something she isn't tell us."

"You're right," said Katniss, quickly. "Boggs gave me the Holo because he knew that I was on a special mission for President Coin, a mission to assassinate President Snow before the loss of life from this war makes our population unsustainable."

Now that- that was a lie. Oh, there was no doubt Katniss was going after Snow, but it wasn't an order. Finnick didn't know Coin very well, but he knew she would never send Katniss to assassinate President Snow. "It's true," said Cressida, suddenly. "That's why we're here. Plutarch wants it televised, he thinks if we can film the Mockingjay assassinating Snow, it will end the war."

That made Jackson pause, uncertainly. "Do you really think we'd all be so wasted doing a job like this?" questioned Kailani, convincingly. She had seen what they were doing, and was more than prepared to go along with it. Finnick studied her, she had her Capitol face on, the one she used to convince anyone and everyone of whatever lines she was being fed. He was still worried about her though, she hadn't been feeling well for the last few days. It was just the mornings, sometimes she'd wake up unwell and pale. But she showed little of that right now. He felt a surge of pride within him at the sight of her, she truly was something to behold.

"And why is _he_ here?" questioned Jackson, her head flicking to the now silent cupboard where Peeta had been stuffed.

"Because the two post-Games interviews with Caesar Flickerman were shot in President Snow's personal quarters," said Cressida, "Plutarch thinks Peeta may be of some use as a guide in a location we have little knowledge of." Finnick knew why _they_ would lie for Katniss, but he didn't know why that lot would. The film crew had no reason to lie for her and yet they did. Maybe that was just the power of the Mockingjay at work.

"We have to go!" said Gale, insistently. "I'm following Katniss, if you don't want too, head back to camp. But let's move!"

Homes unlocked the closet and heaved an unconscious Peeta over his shoulder. "Ready," he said.

"Boggs?" asked Leeg 1.

"We can't take him. He'd understand," said Finnick, freeing the gun from Boggs's shoulder and strapping it over his own.

Kailani had moved to stand next to him now, though she didn't touch him, she stood close. Her eyes were trained on Katniss, "Lead on, Soldier Everdeen," she said, softly. Katniss looked at the Holo for direction, and even Finnick could tell that she was confused. He didn't how to use one, he doubted she did. Jackson grumbled something and Kailani shot her a sharp look, "Could you help her with the Holo please, Jackson?"

The other woman scowled, but did as was requested of her. If this did all turn out to be true, she didn't want it to get back to Coin that she'd been against it, against _her_ orders. She tapped in a command, "If we go out the kitchen door, there's a small courtyard, then the back side of another apartment unit," she said. "We're looking at an overview of the four streets that meet at the intersection."

Katniss studied it, her brow creased. Finally, she'd made some kind of decision. "Put on your masks, we're going out the way we came in." There were a chorus of objections, and Katniss raised her voice over them. "If the wave was that powerful, then it may have triggered and absorbed other pods in our path."

The others stopped to consider this, and Pollux made a few quick signs to his brother. "It may have disabled the cameras as well," translated Castor, "Coated the lenses."

Gale propped one of his boots on the counter and examined the splatter of black on the toe. He scraped it off with a kitchen knife from a block on the counter. "It's not corrosive," he said, "I think it was meant to either suffocate of poison us."

"Probably our best shot," said Leeg 1.

Their masks went on, and Finnick adjusted one over Peeta's face, as Cressida and Leeg 1 propped up a woozy Messalla between them. Katniss, took her place in the front. They moved slowly through the strange black sludge that coated the ground, and everything outside. All of the colour was gone, everything was just black. "If anyone needs to go back, for whatever reason, now is the time," said Katniss, looking up at what would have been Mitchell. The net was covered, leaving behind a black teardrop but all of them could see two shapes projecting from it, the shape of a gun barrel and a human hand. However, no one seemed inclined to retreat and Katniss kept moving. The gel-like substance was difficult to move in, it was sticky and thick. It didn't cling onto them though, and their footsteps faded away as they moved but still, it wasn't easy.

The wave must have been enormous, with tremendous power behind it, as it had affected several blocks. And as Katniss had suspected, it appeared to have triggered any of the pods as well. Finnick could make out tracker jacks, dead amongst the sludge, and also the remnants of an explosion amongst the black gel. It wasn't until the fifth block, that the effects of the wave began to peter out. The gel wasn't very deep anymore, and Finnick assumed that it's effectiveness in detonating pods, would have been lessened as well. The afternoon light had faded, and it was a relief when Katniss decided it was time to take cover. She chose an apartment at random, two-thirds of the way down the block, and Homes jimmied the lock. The torches built into their guns illuminated a large living room with mirrored walls, as Katniss closed the door behind them and Gale checked the windows. There didn't appear to be any damage from the wave and he removed his mask. "It's all right," he said, "You can smell it, but it's not too strong."

The apartment seemed to be laid out exactly like the first one, not that Finnick had taken much notice. All that mattered, was that it was empty, and they were at least a little safer than they would have been on the street. Finnick sunk into a plush chair in the lounge room, as Peeta was dumped on a sofa across from him. Jackson still had her gun trained on him, even though he was cuffed and unconscious. The television mounted on the far wall, was blank, but glowed softly. All of them, had gravitated to the living room, lost in their own thoughts. Katniss, more lost than all of them. Again, she had more people with her than she'd intended. It was like they were in the arena again, her contemplating what to do, how to handle the situation she'd been thrown into. Everyone expected her to do so much, Finnick often forget that she was still just a child. She wasn't even eighteen yet, and she was leading a rebellion. And all because of a couple of berries, that was where it had all started. Kailani squeezed into the seat, half on top of him, half pressed into the side. Without a word, he wrapped an arm around her. A distant chain of explosions sent a tremor through the room, and he glanced in that direction.

"It wasn't close," assured Jackson, "A good four or five blocks away." She might have been a little bit disgruntled over the leadership, but she knew what was _really_ important. And sulking, being bitter, wouldn't help any of them. They had to be a team, if they wanted to survive this, and she _knew that_.

Although no one had made a move towards it, the television flared to life, emitting a high-pitched beeping sound and bringing half the party to their feet. "It's all right!" called Cressida, "It's just an emergency broadcast. Every Capitol television is automatically activated for it."

It was them. They were the ones on-screen, the footage showing the moment just after the bomb had taken out Boggs. A voice-over explained what they were viewing, as their squad tried to regroup. They all watched the chaos unfold in silence, until the wave of black gel blotted out the cameras, and the last thing they saw was Kailani grabbing Gale, forcing him to move. The reporter identified basically all but those from Thirteen, by name. Finnick, Kailani, Katniss, Gale, Boggs, Peeta and Cressida. Only Pollux and Castor seemed to have been able to escape, given that they were just simple cameramen.

"There's no aerial footage," said Castor, "Boggs must have been right about their hovercraft capacity."

The coverage continued from the courtyard behind the apartment that they had once taken shelter in. Peacekeepers lined the roof across from their former hideout, and shells were launched into the row of apartments. They set of the chain of explosions that they'd heard, and the building collapsed into a pile of rubble and dust. The footage was live now, with a reporter standing on the roof alongside the Peacekeepers. Behind her, the apartment block burned. Firefighters tried to control the blaze with water hoses. And they- they were all pronounced dead.

"Finally, a bit of luck," said Homes.

"My father," whispered Leeg 1, "He just lost my sister and now…"

Finnick just hoped that Johanna didn't see any of this, she wouldn't take it well. Perhaps she was still under sedation, that would be a blessing indeed. But he doubted it. And then there was Annie, she did still care for them, Finnick knew that. They played the footage over and over, revelling in their victory. There was a switch to a very well-done montage of the Mockingjay's rise to rebel power, before they went live to a couple of reporters discussing her much deserved end. Later, they promised, Snow would make an official statement and with that, the screen faded back to a glow. The rebels had made no attempt to break in during the broadcast, they must have believed it then. They thought they were all dead, and maybe that was a good thing. Coin couldn't call them back, couldn't call the shots now. They could all do what they'd always intended to, and that was _go after Snow_.

"So, now that we're dead, what's our next move?" asked Gale.

"Isn't it obvious?" No one had realised that Peeta had regained consciousness. Finnick had no idea how long it had been, but the look on his face made it clear that he had seen everything. He had seen what had happened on the street, _what he'd done_. He looked absolutely miserable, his face downcast. With some amount of effort, Peeta pushed himself up into a sitting position and directed his words to Gale. "Our next move… is to kill me."


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N - Hope there aren't too many mistakes, I haven't had much time to double and triple check because I'm on holidays and I just wanted to post this chapter while I still had internet. Hope you enjoy! Xx **

**CHAPTER 13:**

That made it two requests for Peeta's death in less than an hour, thought Katniss. First, it was Boggs and now, it was Peeta himself.

"Don't be ridiculous," said Jackson, impatiently. It was as if she was speaking to a child that had just asked for dessert, instead of dinner.

"I just murdered a member of our squad!" shouted Peeta.

"You pushed him off you. You couldn't have known he would trigger the net at that exact spot," said Finnick, trying to calm him.

"Who cares? He's dead, isn't he?" Tears began to run down Peeta's face, staining his cheeks. "I didn't know, I've never seen myself like that before. Katniss is right, I'm the monster, I'm the mutt, I'm the one Snow has turned into a weapon!"

"It's not your fault, Peeta," said Kailani, gently.

"You can't take me with you, it's only a matter of time before I kill someone else." Peeta looked around at all of their conflicted faces. "Maybe you think it's kinder to just dump me somewhere, let me take my chances. But that's the same thing as handing me over to the Capitol. Do you think you'd be doing me a favour by sending me back to Snow?"

No. The answer to that was a firm no, Katniss was positive. Peeta couldn't go back to Snow, he'd be tortured and tormented until there really was, none of him left. "I'll kill you before that happens," said Gale, "I promise."

Peeta hesitated, as if considering the reliability of the offer. And then, he shook his head. "It's no good. What if you're not there to do it? I want one of those poison pills like the rest of you have."

Nightlock. Katniss had one in her Mockingjay suit back at camp, and one in the breast pocket of her uniform. It was interesting that they hadn't issued Peeta one, perhaps Coin didn't want to risk him using it before he could kill her. But none of them knew if Peeta meant to use it now, or only if he were captured. In the state he was in, Katniss expected he'd use it sooner rather than later. It would make things easier, that was for sure. They wouldn't have to shoot him, bear that guilt. It would also simplify having to deal with his homicidal episodes. But, all Katniss could think of was being in the arena. That was what all of this was like, and she could only imagine how much satisfaction Snow would get out of her having to kill Peeta.

"It's not about you," said Katniss, finally. "We're on a mission, and you're necessary to it." She looked around at everyone else, ignoring Peeta. "Think we might find some food here?"

* * *

Half of them stayed to guard Peeta, while the other half went off in search of food. Finnick and Kailani were amongst those to stay, though they weren't really needed. Again, Finnick found himself studying her, the love of his life. He leaned his head on her shoulder, breathing in her scent. Behind the horrible tar, and smell of smoke that covered them all, there was the distinct scent of tropical flowers and vanilla. It was Kailani, familiar and warm, just like home. He wished they could just go home, that this could all be over. Finnick wanted to start his life with her, like they should have _years ago_. He wanted to live by the sea, and wake up to her every morning. He didn't want to be in this dark, abandoned apartment, in the middle of the Capitol. This wasn't safe, this was like being in the Games again and he was as worried for her life now, as he was then. Finnick was fucking terrified, to the very depths of his soul and only now, was he acknowledging it. Kailani placed a light kiss to his head, linking their hands together.

"Are you okay?" she asked, quietly.

No, he wasn't, but she probably already knew that. This wasn't going to be easy, the Capitol would realise they weren't dead eventually. They couldn't just stroll into President Snow's private quarters, without concern. Nothing was ever that easy, especially not in this damn place. "I love you," he said, instead.

The grip on his hand tightened, "I know, I love you too."

* * *

Katniss and Gale handed food out to the others, and it wasn't until they'd all gotten into a box of fancy cream-filled cookies, that the beeping started up again. The seal of Panem lit up the television screen and remained there as the anthem played. And then, they began to show images of the dead, just as they did with the tributes in the arena. They started with the four faces of their camera crew, followed by Boggs, Gale, Finnick, Kailani, Peeta and of course, her. They didn't bother with the soldiers from Thirteen, either because they wouldn't know who they were, or because they knew it wouldn't mean anything. Then the man himself appeared, seated at his desk, a flag draped behind him, a fresh white rose gleaming in his lapel.

Snow congratulated the Peacekeepers on a masterful job, honoured them for ridding the country of the menace called the Mockingjay. With her death, he predicted a turning of the tide in the war, since the demoralised rebels had no one left to follow. Somewhere, in District Thirteen, Beetee hit a switch. No longer was President Snow on the screen, but President Coin. She introduced herself to Panem, identified herself as the head of the rebellion before launching into Katniss' eulogy. She praised the girl who survived the Seam and the Hunger Games, then turned a country of slaves into an army of freedom fighters. "Dead or alive, Katniss Everdeen will remain the face of this rebellion. If ever you waver in your resolve, think of the Mockingjay, and in her you will find the strength you need to rid Panem of its oppressors."

"I had no idea how much I meant to her," said Katniss. Gale laughed, while Kailani gave her a small smirk and everyone else shot her questioning looks.

A heavily doctored photo of herself, looking beautiful and fierce, with a bunch of flames flickering behind her, appeared on screen. There were no words, no slogan. The only thing they needed now, was her face. Beetee returned the reins back to a very controlled Snow. Katniss had the feeling that the President thought the emergency channel was impenetrable, and someone would end up dead tonight because it was breached. "Tomorrow morning, when we pull Katniss Everdeen's body from the ashes, we will see exactly who the Mockingjay is. A dead girl who could save no one, not even herself." The seal appeared, the anthem played, and then the screen went blank again.

"Except that you won't find her," said Finnick, voicing what they were all thinking. The grace period would be brief. Once they dug through the ashes of the apartment building, and found their bodies missing, they would know that they'd escaped. They would be after them, without fail.

"We can get a head start on them at least," said Katniss, tiredly. All she wanted to do was lie down, and sleep. She was exhausted, after the day that they'd had, they all were but right now, they couldn't afford to stop and rest. Instead, Katniss pulled out the Holo and insisted that Jackson talked her through the basic commands so that she could at least start to operate the thing herself. As the Holo projected their surroundings, Katniss felt her heart sink even further. They must have been moving closer to crucial targets, because the number of pods had noticeably increased. She looked around at the others, "Any ideas?"

"Why don't we start by ruling out possibilities," said Finnick. "The street is not a possibility."

"The rooftops are just as bad as the street," said Leeg 1.

"We still might have a chance to withdraw, go back the way we came," said Homes. "But that would mean a failed mission."

A pang of guilt hit Katniss. She'd fabricated this mission, Coin had never assigned her anything and yet, all of these people- well, she looked over at Cressida, at Finnick and Kailani who both knew her well enough to know better- most of these people, were following her trustingly, convinced that she was indeed on a special mission to assassinate Snow. "It was never intended for all of us to go forward," she said, "You just had the misfortune to be with me."

"Well, that's a moot point, we're with you now," said Jackson. "So, we can't stay put. We can't move up. We can't move laterally. I think that just leaves one option."

"Underground," said Gale.

Katniss didn't enjoy the idea of that very much. Underground, just like the mines of Twelve, and all of Thirteen. Underground, where she dreaded dying. The Holo could show subterranean as well as street-level pods. While the above-ground streets were all relatively simply laid out, underground there were the additions of interlacing tunnels, twisting and turning without any sense of direction. The pods looked less numerous, though. Two doors down from where they were, a vertical tube connected their row of apartments to the tunnels. To reach the tube apartment, they would have to squeeze through a maintenance shaft that ran the length of the building. They could enter the shaft through the back of the closet space on the upper floor. It was their best option.

"Okay, then," said Katniss, "Let's make it look like we've never been here." They erased all signs of their stay, sent empty cans of food down a trash chute, pocketed the full ones for later, flipped the cushions smeared with blood and wiped traces of black gel from the tiles. There was no fixing the latch on the front door, but they did lock the second bolt, which would at least keep it from swinging open on contact. Katniss figured the camera suits that Castor and Pollux wore wouldn't fit through the maintenance shaft, given how bit and bulky they were. Messalla found them a cupboard to shove them in, though Katniss wished there was a better option that allowed them to hide evidence of them being there better, there wasn't. They still had their emergency back-up cameras with them though, they didn't want to leave them behind.

The only problem left, was Peeta. Peeta, who planted himself on the blue sofa and refused to budge. "I'm not going," he said, stubbornly. "I'll either disclose your position or hurt someone else."

"Snow's people will find you," said Kailani. "We're not going to leave you behind."

"Then leave me a pill, I'll only take it if I have to."

"That's not an option," said Jackson, "Come along."

"Or you'll what? Shoot me?" asked Peeta.

"We'll knock you out and drag you with us, which will both slow us down and endanger us," said Homes.

"Stop being noble! I don't care if I die!" Peeta turned to her then, his eyes pleading. "Katniss, please. Don't you see, I want to be out of this?"

Of course, she did. That was the problem, she saw it clearly. But whether it was because she cared about him too much, or a part of her didn't want to let Snow win, Katniss couldn't bring herself to let him go. "We're wasting time, are you coming voluntarily or do we knock you out?"

Peeta buried his face in his hands for a few moments and then, rose to join them. "Should we free his hands?" asked Leeg 1.

"No!" Peeta growled, drawing his cuffs in close to his body.

"No," echoed Katniss. "But I want the key." Jackson passed it over without a word, and she slipped it into her pocket.

Together, they moved upstairs and Homes proceeded to prise open the small metal door to the maintenance shaft. Even going single file, and holding their packs and gear out to the side, it was a tight fit. However, they squeezed their way through and broke into the second apartment. In this apartment, one of the bedrooms had a door marked utility instead of a bathroom. Behind the door, was the room with the entrance to the tube.

Messalla frowned at the wide circular cover, and for a moment returned to his own fussy world. "It's why no one every wants the centre unit. Workmen coming and going whenever and no second bath. But the rent's considerably cheaper." Then he noticed Finnick's amused expression, and added, "Never mind."

The tube's cover was simple to unlatch, and a wide ladder with rubber treads allowed for a swift and easy descent into the bowels of the city. They gathered at the foot of the ladder, waiting for their eyes to adjust to the dim strip of lights, breathing in the mixture of chemicals, mildew and sewage. Pollux, pale and sweaty, reached out and latched on to Castor's wrist, like he might have fallen over if someone hadn't been there to steady him.

"My brother worked down here after he became an Avox," said Castor, "Took five years before we were able to buy his way up to the ground level. Didn't see the sun once." Under better conditions, on a day with fewer horrors and more rest, someone would surely have known what to say. Kailani opened her mouth, and then closed it again, unsure. They all stood there for a long time, trying to formulate some kind of response.

Finally, Peeta turned to Pollux. "Well, then you just became our most valuable asset," he said. Castor laughed and Pollux managed a smile.

It wasn't until they were halfway down the first tunnel, that Katniss realised what was so remarkable about the exchange. Peeta had sounded like his old self, the one who could always think of the right thing to say when no one else could. He was right though, Pollux had turned out to be useful, he was worth ten Holos in the underground tunnels. He knew things that would otherwise have led to disasters for newcomers, leading them through safely. He knew which tunnels were safe, and which weren't. He knew when water would gush through the sewer periodically, and when Avoxes would be changing shifts. And most importantly, he had knowledge of the cameras. There weren't many down in such a gloomy, misty place but they kept well out of their way nevertheless. Under Pollux's guidance they made good time, much better than above ground. However, after about six hours, fatigue took over. Katniss figured they still had a few hours before their bodies were discovered missing, and when she suggested that they stopped and rested, no one objected. Pollux found them a small, warm room humming with machines, and indicated that they had to be gone in four hours. Jackson worked out a guard schedule, with Finnick and Kailani on the first shift, alongside Pollux and Katniss wedged herself in the tight space between Gale and Leeg 1, before slipping off to sleep.

It felt like only a few minutes had passed when Jackson shook her awake and told her that she was on watch. They had an hour before they had to leave, and Jackson told her to eat and keep an eye on Pollux who'd insisted on being on guard all night. "He can't sleep down here," she had said. Katniss forced herself up, and sat against the wall facing the door. Pollux seemed wide awake, he'd probably been reliving those five years of imprisonment all night. Katniss pulled out the Holo, and began studying. She and Pollux clicked around, looking at what traps lied where until Katniss felt like her head was spinning. She handed the device over to him, and looked down at all of the sleeping soldiers, crew, and friends. She was very aware that they might not all make it to the Capitol, that they'd already lost two. Gale, was sound asleep against a wall, one hand on his gun, the other wrapped around his waist. There was Leeg 1, Jackson, Homes. Cressida was squeezed next to Messalla, and Castor slept close to where Pollux had been sitting all night. Finnick and Kailani were wrapped up in each other as they were every night, enjoying every second they had. They must have known that there was a chance that it might not last. They'd watched each other fight for their lives before, and were there alongside each other as they did again. This, was the third Games that they'd been in. It never stopped, not for any of them. And then, her eyes fell on Peeta. His head rested by Katniss' feet, not asleep like he should have been.

"Have you eaten?" asked Katniss, her voice quiet. Peeta shook his head, and she opened a can of chicken and rice soup, handing it to him, keeping the lid in case he tried to slit his wrists with it or something. Without a word, he sat up and tilted the can back, chugging the soup down. "Peeta, when you asked about what happened to Darius and Lavinia, and Boggs told you it was real, you said you thought so, because there was nothing shiny about it. What did you mean?"

"Oh, I don't know exactly how to explain it," he said, frowning. "In the beginning, everything was just complete confusion. Now I can sort certain things out, I think there's a pattern emerging. The memories they altered with the tracker jacker venom have this strange quality about them. Like they're too intense or the images aren't stable. You remember what it was like when we were stung?"

Katniss nodded, "Tree shattered, there were giant coloured butterflies, I fell in a pit of orange bubbles." She thought about it. "_Shiny _orange bubbles."

"Right, but nothing about Darius or Lavinia was like that, I don't think they'd given me any venom yet."

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" asked Katniss, "If you can separate the two, then you can figure out what's true."

"Yes, and if I could grow wings, I could fly, only people can't grow wings," he said, "Real or not real?"

"Real, but people don't need wings to survive."

"Mockingjays do." Peeta finished the soup and returned the can to her.

In the fluorescent light, the circles under his eyes looked like dark bruises. "There's still time, you should sleep," said Katniss. Without resistance, Peeta laid back down, but instead of going to sleep he just stared at one of the machine dials, as the needle twitched from side to side. Slowly, as she would with a wounded animal, her hand stretched out and brushed a wave of hair from his forehead. He froze at her touch, but didn't recoil. Katniss continued to gently smooth back his hair, it was the first time she'd voluntarily touched him since the last arena.

"You're still trying to protect me, real or not real," he whispered.

"Real," answered Katniss. "Because that's what you and I do, protect each other." And after a minute or two, he drifted back off to sleep.

Shortly before seven, she and Pollux moved among the others, rousing them. Kailani woke with a start, and Finnick rubbed a hand over her back. There were the usual yawns and sighs that came with waking, from everyone else. However, Katniss was sure she heard something else. Almost, like a hissing sound. Perhaps it was just steam escaping from a pipe, or the far-off whoosh of one of the trains, or… Katniss hushed everyone, trying to get a better read on it. There was a hissing, but it wasn't just one extended sound, more like multiple exhalations that formed words. A single word. It echoed throughout the tunnels. One word. One name. Repeated over and over again.

_"__Katniss."_

* * *

Kailani heard it clearly, now. Katniss, Katniss, _Katniss_. Snow had found their trail, and now he was hunting them. They shouldn't have stopped, tired or not, it was foolish to think that they'd have this head start for long. A wave of nausea passed over her, briefly. All of this camp food must have been disagreeing with her, but it didn't last long.

"Katniss." The sound was much closer now, and Katniss jumped, swinging around, her bow loaded. Peeta's lips were barely moving, but there was no doubt that the name had come from him. "_Katniss_." He must have been reacting to the mutts, programmed to respond to the hissing chorus, to join the hunt. "Katniss!" Peeta snapped upright, his eyes wide, his breaths short. "Katniss! Get out of here!"

She hesitated, "Why? What's making that sound?"

"I don't know, only that it has to kill you," said Peeta, "Run! Get out! Go!"

Katniss relaxed her bowstring, and looked around studying them. "Whatever it is, it's after me. It might be a good time to split up." Kailani shook her head, unsurprised. This was every bit the Mockingjay, she supposed. The girl that wouldn't leave Peeta behind, that hated the fact that all that they did, they did for her. They all would have sacrificed themselves to see that she made it out of the arena, that was probably why Haymitch hadn't wanted to tell her anything, she would never have gone along with it.

"We can't split up, we need to stick together," said Kailani, firmly.

"Besides, we're your guard," said Jackson.

"And your crew," added Cressida.

"I'm not leaving you," Gale said, decisively.

Katniss didn't try to argue with them, she knew it would have been useless. They weren't going to split up, it was too dangerous. All of them divided up their weapons, given that the camera crew had nothing to arm themselves with. Finnick gave one of his guns to Castor, while Peeta's was loaded with a real cartridge, and given to Pollux. Katniss and Gale handed their weapons over to Messalla and Cressida, since they had their bows and preferred to use them anyway. The only person without a weapon, was Peeta but that was for the best.

Outside the hum of the room, the hissing became more distinct. The mutts were behind them, still at a fair distance but they wouldn't tire like they would. No doubt they were faster as well, genetically designed to be the most effective trackers they could be. They had to move fast, but in doing so it made them sloppy. They couldn't focus on being quiet, or discrete, they just had to keep moving. They had covered almost three more blocks via an overflow pipe and a section of neglected train track when the screams began. Thick, and guttural, they echoed off of the walls.

"Avoxes," said Peeta, immediately. "That's what Darius sounded like when they tortured him."

"The mutts must have found them," said Cressida.

"So, they're not just after Katniss," said Leeg 1.

"They'll probably kill anyone," said Gale, "They just won't stop until they get to her." Kailani thought of the monkeys back in the arena. Mutts were always designed to be vicious, they all might have had different traits, claws, or teeth, or poison, or all of the above, but they were _always_ vicious. They wanted blood, and they would enjoy getting it. They had a job to do, but it wouldn't keep them from killing anyone else. Snow would want to make all of them suffer, and he would have known that it would make Katniss suffer too.

"Let me go on alone," said Katniss, hopefully. "Lead them off, I'll transfer the Holo to Kailani, the rest of you can finish the mission."

"No one's going to agree to that!" said Jackson, exasperated.

"We're wasting time," said Finnick, and Kailani agreed. They shouldn't have been arguing about this, they had to keep moving.

"Listen," whispered Peeta.

The screams had stopped but the mutts sounded closer now, and not just behind them, but below them as well. They ran, it was the only thing they could do. As the scent of roses filled the air, Jackson ordered them to put their masks on but they didn't need them. It wasn't a gas, or a poison trying to suffocate them, it was a message. Katniss gagged, and Kailani knew who it was she thought of. Snow always smelled like roses, it was suffocating. Their Mockingjay swerved away from the scent, leading them back to the main streets that reflected the ones above. The Transfer, Pollux had called it. It was empty now, all except for them. Katniss took out a pod, before sprinting to the next intersection. She was so determined in where she was going, that she almost stepped into another pod. At the last moment, Finnick grabbed her arm. "Katniss!" But it was too late, for Messalla. He was encased in a white shaft of golden light that radiated from ceiling to floor. Gale had attempted to shoot an arrow at it, but it did nothing. Messalla stood there, unmoving, frozen. His head was tilted back, his mouth stretched wide as if he could have been yelling. They watched, utterly helpless, as the flesh melted off his body like candle wax.

"Can't help him!" yelled Peeta, shoving them forward. "Can't!" Somehow, he was still able to function. Kailani had expected him to lose it by now, had been trying to keep a close eye on him but, he was still himself. And, he was right. There was nothing they could do for him now, and somehow, Kailani managed to turn away from the horrible sight that was Messalla.

They had made it to the next intersection, when the shooting started. It wasn't a pod either, but a squad of Peacekeepers. They pounded across the Transfer towards them, and though they outnumbered them two to one, this was a squad of sharpshooters. Their white uniforms became bloodied, and most of them were dead as more began to pour in from the same tunnel they had just been in. Except, these weren't Peacekeepers. Kailani could see the strangeness in how they moved, tails swinging behind them, back and forth, back and forth. They were the size of full-grown humans, and the reptiles swarmed upon the Peacekeepers, living and dead, clamping onto their necks and ripping off their heads. The mutts fell to their bellies, the remains of the decapitated Peacekeepers all around them, and skittered towards their group on all fours, their scales shining in the dim light.

"This way!" shouted Katniss. She made a sharp right turn, and once everyone was behind her, fired into the intersection. A pod was activated, and a set of huge mechanical teeth burst through the street, chewing the tile to dust. "Forget about the mission," she yelled, grabbing Pollux by the arm. "What's the quickest way above ground?"

He started moving, and Katniss moved after him, everyone else following their lead. Leeg 1 however, had her gun trained in the direction of where the mutts had been, Jackson too and Kailani paused. They weren't moving, and they didn't look they intended to move either. "What are you-"

Jackson spun around, fixing her with a look. "Go, now," she ordered, "We'll hold them off." She didn't think that the blast would hold them off for long and honestly, Kailani thought the other woman was probably right. She hesitated though, they still could have run, they might have made it.

"Jackson…"

Finnick grabbed her arm, tightly. "Kailani, come on." This never got easier, having to leave people behind. They did it too often, she was tired of losing people but nevertheless, Kailani turned away and started running. She and Finnick caught up quickly, and though they all wanted to move fast, they also had to be careful. Pollux led them through the main sewer, and the poisonous liquid below would have killed them had they fallen in. The stench alone, was bad enough. They made their way over a narrow bridge, and Pollux smacked a ladder with his hand, pointing up the shaft. This was it, their way out.

"Wait!" said Katniss. "Where are Jackson and Leeg 1?"

"They stayed behind to hold the mutts back," said Kailani, carefully.

"What?" Katniss immediately lunged back towards the bridge, but Finnick held her back, a frown on his face.

"Don't waste their lives, Katniss," he said. "It's too late for them, look!" Across the bridge, the mutts slithered along menacingly. They hadn't been able to hold them back for long, then.

"Stand back!" shouted Gale. He used an explosive-tipped arrow to rip the far side of the bridge from its foundation and the structure sunk into the bubbling liquid below. And despite the toxicity of it, the mutts began to throw themselves into the foul sewer. Clearly, it didn't bother them. Along their bank, everyone opened fire. Kailani looked around, there were too many of them, they just kept coming like an inexhaustible supply. Her eyes fell on Katniss, shooting arrow after arrow. They had to get out of here and above all else, _she_ had to get out of here. The Mockingjay needed to stay alive, they couldn't lose her now.

"Everyone up!" yelled Kailani. "Climb the ladder!"

Pollux grabbed Katniss, and forced her to start climbing and for that, Kailani was relieved. They continued to shoot, but the mutts were closer now. She was vaguely aware of others getting on the ladder, starting to make the ascent. "Brace yourselves!" shouted Gale, and he let off an explosive arrow. Given how close the mutts were, it knocked all of them back and Kailani was thrown into a metal pipe. Pain spread through her, from her stomach outwards and she cringed. If she made it out of here, that was going to bruise. Something snarled, and she barely had time to throw a hand up before a mutt was on top of her. It must have been one of the few to escape the blast. They could be killed, but it took dozens of bullets. They were more durable than anything like them had a right to be, and Kailani saw a gleaming set of teeth before it sunk into her arm. She yelled, hurriedly moving to position her gun before the damn think took her whole arm off. Without hesitating, she fired. The bullets had it reeling back, a deep red liquid seeping out of the mutt's injuries before Finnick finished it off with his trident. He didn't say anything, there was no time, just pushed her towards the ladder. She ignored the pain, from her arm, from her body, and climbed. There was no thinking, just climbing as fast as possible. Kailani could feel Finnick behind her, could hear his breathing above the gunshots still being let off below. As long as he was there, nothing else mattered. Katniss gave her a hand, pulling her out of the shaft, as Finnick followed behind her.

"The Holo, Katniss, detonate it!" he ordered, as they pulled Gale up. Katniss looked between him, and the gloom below. They weren't all here, she was only just realising that. But if they weren't here now, there was no way they were going to make it. Someone cried out, a human sound and Kailani tried not to think about who it could be. Neither Homes, nor Castor were there.

"But-" started Katniss, her face torn. "There's still someone alive."

"No, Katniss," said Gale, his uniform torn, his neck bleeding. "They're not coming, only mutts are."

Pale and shaking, Katniss pulled out the Holo, choked out, "Nightlock, nightlock, nightlock", and dropped it down into the shaft. They all pressed into the wall, as the explosion rocked the entire platform, bits of mutt and human flesh shooting out of the pipe, and showering them. Pollux slammed a cover over the pipe, and locked it into place. For a moment, all that could be heard was their heavy breathing. A bandage was found for Gale's neck, and her arm. It was bleeding heavily, Kailani realised but it could have been worse.

"We can't stay here," said Katniss, finally. She was right, they had to keep moving. There was no time to stop, and they'd made it this far. Another wave of nausea washed over Kailani, and pain shot through her abdomen. Moaning, she bent over and suddenly, Finnick was there.

"Lani?"

"I'm fine," she managed, unconvincingly. Kailani met his concerned look, and tried a small smile. "I'll _be_ fine." It was just the blood loss, and being knocked around by that blast. She would be alright, she was sure of it.

Katniss was kneeling down next to Peeta, speaking quietly to him, trying to convince him that they needed him or something like that. Kailani didn't know for sure, all of them did know when she leaned in to kiss him though. Gale looked away, immediately as Katniss pulled away, her eyes focused completely on Peeta. "Don't let him take you away from me," she said, quietly. In the silence though, she might as well have been talking at a normal volume. Kailani felt like she was intruding on something private, but there was little way to be able to avoid it.

Peeta was panting, his eyes wide. "No, I don't want too…"

"_Stay with me_."

His face calmed, the tension in his muscles easing just slightly. A sense of normality returned to him, the confliction that waged within him disappearing, at least for a time. "Always," he murmured.

Katniss pulled him to his feet, before turning to Pollux. "How far to the street?"


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: I'M SORRY. AGAIN. I've been on holidays as it turned out, there was no internet. I hadn't planned for that so I apologise. I also apologise for any mistakes made, I did edit it, but I always miss things so hopefully it's not too bad. As ever, thank you for the love and support! Xx**

**CHAPTER 14:**

The street had been just one ladder climb away, just one, after all that they had been through, it was just one climb away. They'd come up into someone's utility room, and Katniss had had no choice but to shoot the woman that had come to investigate. They had come up into her house, but she had recognised Katniss, immediately. She didn't even need to consider it, she just shot her dead. There was no one else in the house, which was a relief. It meant they didn't have to kill anyone else.

"How long do you think we have before they figure out some of us could've survived?" asked Katniss.

"I think they could be here anytime," answered Finnick.

"They knew we were heading for the streets," said Gale, "The explosion will probably throw them off for a few minutes and then they'll start looking for our exit point."

Katniss moved across to the window, peering out. There weren't Peacekeepers out there but bundled crowds of people, going about their business. Apparently, they had left the evacuated zones behind and surfaced in a busy section of the Capitol. The good news was, according to Cressida who knew the area, they weren't far from the President's mansion. Katniss only had to take one look at their group to know that they were in no condition for a stealth attack though. Gale was still losing blood from the neck wound, which they hadn't even cleaned yet. Peeta sat on a velvet sofa, his teeth clamped down on a pillow, either fighting off madness or containing a scream. Kailani had been seated in a soft chair, Finnick kneeling down at her feet. She continued to bleed as well, the white of her bandages stained red as Finnick placed the back of his hand to her forehead, worryingly. Pollux wept against the mantel of an ornate fireplace, devastated. He had lost his brother down there, in the place he hated most. Cressida stood determinedly at her side, but Katniss could see how pale she was and her lips were bloodless. All that kept Katniss going was her hate. When that ran out, she would be worthless.

"Let's check her closets," suggested Katniss. They couldn't go outside wearing their uniforms, they had to try and blend in. They found a closet of hundreds of dresses, and another with men's clothing. They got changed, placed copious amounts of makeup on their faces in an effort to disguise themselves. There were wigs, and scarves, and sunglasses used. It was a good thing the people of the Capitol dressed as extravagantly as they did or else this would be more difficult. Katniss could feel the time ticking away, every second they stayed where they were, the risk of them getting caught was growing. However, they stopped just before leaving, to stuff their pockets with food and first-aid supplies. "Stay together," advised Katniss, as they marched into the street. Snow had begun to fall, and agitated people swirled around them, speaking of rebels and hunger and the Mockingjay in their Capitol accents. They crossed the street, and as they turned a corner, three dozen Peacekeepers swept past them. All of them hopped out of the way, just as the real citizens did, and waited until the crowd returned to its normal flow before moving again. "Cressida," she whispered, urgently. "Can you think of anywhere?"

"I'm trying," she said.

They managed to cover another block when the sirens began. Their faces were being broadcast across the televisions in an emergency report, and Katniss knew that soon, every passerby would be just as dangerous as a Peacekeeper. "Cressida?"

"There's one place, it's not ideal but we can try it."

Finnick nodded, "Take us," he said, quietly. His arm was around Kailani's waist, supporting her without looking too suspicious. Perhaps she had been injured more than Katniss had realised, it couldn't have just been her arm.

Cressida led them through the streets, taking them through shortcuts, past a few pokey stores. There weren't many people around in the small back street, and Cressida started to babble about fur undergarments, and how essential they were until they stopped before a grimy storefront, filled with mannequins in furry underwear. It didn't even look open, but Cressida pushed through the front door and set off a chiming bell. She seemed to know what she was doing because she headed straight to a hunched figure that sat in the back. Finnick's face flickered with surprise, as they were confronted by what had to have been the strangest person Katniss had ever seen. She was an extreme example of surgical enhancement gone wrong, with her skin pulled back tightly and tattooed with black and gold stripes. Her nose had been flattened until it barely even existed and long cat whiskers adorned her face. The woman squinted at them, distrustfully as Cressida removed her wig, revealing the vine tattoos that covered her head. "Tigris," she said, "We need your help."

Deep in the depths of her brain, the name rang a bell. She had been a stylist once, Katniss thought. It had been years ago, and she hadn't been seen since but she was sure that was it. She must have had one operation too many, crossed some kind of line and been left to find another job. This- this sad underwear shop, was where Tigris had gone to outlive her days, out of the public eye.

"Plutarch said you could be trusted," added Cressida.

If she was one of Plutarch's people then chances were that she'd notify him and by extension, Coin, of where they were. Being here wasn't ideal, but at the same time they didn't have much choice. Tigris was peering between the old television on her counter, and them, as if trying to place who they were. To help her, Katniss pulled down her scarf and removed her wig. Immediately, Tigris gave a low growl and slinked down off her stool, disappearing behind a rack of fur-lined leggings. There was a sound of sliding and then her hand emerged, waving them forward. Cressida sent her a questioning look, but Katniss knew they didn't have much choice but to follow her. It was either that, or go back out onto the streets. She pushed around the furs to find that Tigris had slid back a panel at the base of the wall. Behind it, seemed to be the top of a steep stone stairway. She gestured them to enter, and everything about it screamed _trap_ to Katniss.

"Did Snow ban you from the Games?" she asked. Tigris stared back at her, and somewhere, her tiger tail flicked with displeasure. "Because I'm going to kill him, you know." Her mouth spread into what she took to be a smile and reassured her that this wasn't complete madness, as Katniss crawled through the space.

About halfway down the steps, she ran into a hanging chain and pulled it. A small florescent bulb illuminated the hideout, with its dull, flickering light. It was a small cellar with no doors or windows, it was shallow, but wide, easily enough space for all of them. It was cold and dank, with piles of pelts that probably hadn't been touched in years. It was a place that unless you had a very keen eye for dimensions, that wouldn't be found. Katniss heard the panel above them slide back into place as Tigris returned to her stool. Unless she gave them up, no one was going to find them. Katniss looked back at those that were left, both Gale and Kailani looked on the verge of collapse and they set to work making them comfortable. Beds were made out of the pelts, as both were made to sit down. Katniss had to stitch up Gale's wound after it was cleaned, and then the one on Kailani's arm. Each were given painkillers, and each floated into a blissful oblivion, falling into unconsciousness within minutes. Finnick immediately, moved to lie down next to Kailani, his face pale. Katniss felt bad for him, he was probably seeing all of the times she'd been hurt and all of the ones most recently, that he had been responsible for. He wrapped her up in his arms, clinging to her like he was afraid she would disappear. His hand stroked her face gently, reverently, as he watched her. The rest of them didn't matter, it was just those two and Katniss couldn't help but stare at them. They'd been through so much and yet somehow, they'd found a way to make it. Katniss admired that. In fact, she was kind of jealous of that.

* * *

Finnick was barely even aware of what was going on around him, all he cared about was Kailani. Her face was peaceful as she slept, the most peaceful he'd seen it in days. He probably should have been using this time to sleep, but he much preferred just watching her instead. Her steady breaths were soft and soothing, though Finnick couldn't deny that he was still worried. Something was off, he knew it, _he knew her_. Kailani shouldn't have been that bad after just one arm injury. Yes, it had bled a lot but not enough for that alone, to be the cause of her pain. She said she was alright, but she must have hit her head after the blast had knocked them from their feet. She had been dizzy and nauseas, Finnick wouldn't go to sleep because he didn't want to risk her not waking up if she had indeed, gotten a concussion of some kind. No, he would make sure she was okay. He couldn't lose her, _he wouldn't lose her_.

Why did it always feel like he was going to lose her? It terrified Finnick, it really did. He thought he would lose her in her Games, he thought he would lose her afterwards, when she refused to talk to any of them. He thought he'd lost her in the Quarter Quell, when Neron had her underwater, and he thought she might fade on him if they didn't find any water quick enough. He _had_ lost her for a time, when he foolishly tried to kill her. He shuddered then, it was still hard to think about. And for months, he thought he would lose her for good, as she went off to war and he did nothing. Even when they did get together, Finnick feared that her nightmares would scare her away from him, that she wouldn't be able to take it and again, he would lose her. And now, she laid in his arms, alive and well, but there was still that fear. He had her, but he could still lose her and what then? What would he do then? Probably use the nightlock, end it for good. Finnick couldn't survive without her, especially not now. He just couldn't, it would be too much.

Katniss was talking quietly, but Finnick paid no attention to it. He didn't know how much time had passed, as he simply laid there and watched Kailani sleep, watched her breathe. But it must have been hours because everyone around him was beginning to wake, were yawning and speaking quietly. It was only when _her_ eyes began to flutter, and she looked at him, tiredly, did Finnick feel like everything would be okay. "How do you feel?" he whispered.

Kailani reached up, her hand touching his cheek. "A little better," she said.

Finnick studied her face, trying to see whether or not she was lying to him, trying to keep him from worrying. She should have known better, he always worried. Kailani still looked pale, and there was a light sheen of sweat across her forehead. When he placed his hand there to check her temperature, she felt warm, too warm. Her cheeks were flushed, and Finnick knew then, that Kailani _wasn't_ feeling better. "Kailani…" His voice was filled with concern, and she sighed, moving to rest her head against his chest.

"I must have been getting sick," she said, "It would explain the last few days. All of this rushing around, the lack of sleep, it just pushed me over the edge. My arm feels better though, Katniss did a good job."

"Yes, she did," said Finnick. He wanted to question her further, to examine her for injuries, but even if she was hurt, their supplies were limited. Maybe she was just sick, maybe that was all it was. Kailani had lost a fair amount of blood, and if she'd been sick as well, it would explain how she was feeling now. It was hard to fight off a virus, if your body was too busy trying to keep you alive.

"I- I have something to say," announced Katniss, loud enough for them all to hear. Finnick sat up, pulling Kailani with him, as everyone turned their attention to their Mockingjay. She looked guilty, and remorseful. Finnick wasn't surprised when she went on to confess that this whole thing, was a mission that she had made up. In fact, no one was surprised. They'd always known, always had some idea, Katniss was an idiot to assume otherwise. As if she would ever be able to fool them all that easily, she wasn't _that_ good of a liar.

"Katniss, we all knew you were lying about Coin sending you to assassinate Snow," said Gale.

"You knew, maybe," said Katniss, "The soldiers from Thirteen didn't."

"Do you really think Jackson believed you had orders from Coin?" asked Kailani, her voice quiet. "She was a smart woman, of course she didn't believe that, especially not coming from you. It was obvious, that this was all made up. But Boggs gave the Holo to you, he trusted you and Jackson trusted him, that was all she needed."

"I never even told Boggs what I was going to do!"

"You told everyone in Command! It was one of your conditions for being the Mockingjay, _'I kill Snow'_," said Gale, pointedly.

"But not like this, it's been a complete disaster."

"I think it's been considered a highly successful mission. We've infiltrated the enemy camp, showing that the Capitol's defences can be breached. We've managed to get footage of ourselves all over the Capitol's news. We've thrown the whole city into chaos trying to find us."

"Trust me, Plutarch is thrilled," added Cressida.

"That's because Plutarch doesn't care who dies," said Katniss, "Not as long as his Games are a success."

Well, she wasn't wrong there thought Finnick. Plutarch was first and foremost, a Gamemaker. He was a valuable asset, but he had designed the Hunger Games, he had designed some of those pods that had killed countless soldiers. He didn't care what happened, really, as long as they won, and as long as they did it in style. But this mission would have been considered a success so far had it been real. They _had_ made progress, they _had_ gotten close to Snow.

"What do you think, Peeta?" Katniss asked, looking over at him. He hadn't said anything yet, had kept rather quiet.

"I think… you still have no idea," he began. "The effect you can have." He had been cuffed to a set of pipes, at his own request and with some effort, managed to push himself into a sitting position. "None of the people we lost were idiots. They knew what they were doing, they followed you because they believed you really could kill Snow."

His words seemed to resonate something in her because instead of arguing, Katniss pulled out a paper map, spreading it out on the floor. "Where are we, Cressida?"

Tigris's shop sat about five blocks from the City Circle, and Snow's mansion. It was easily in walking distance in a zone where the pods had been deactivated for the citizen's safety. They had disguises, they could have gotten there but the question was what they did then. "What we need is to get him out in the open," said Gale, "Then one of us could pick him off."

"Does he ever appear in public anymore?" asked Peeta.

"I don't think so," said Cressida. "At least, in all the recent speeches I've seen, he's been in the mansion. Even before the rebels got here. I imagine he became more vigilant after Finnick and Cashmere aired his crimes."

Kailani stiffened in his arms, her head snapping around to look at him. "You and Cash did _what_?" Suddenly, she didn't look ill anymore, just angry. Had she really not heard? It had been the talk of Thirteen for days but Finnick supposed after she'd rescued Johanna and the others, Kailani didn't pay much attention to anything. It was all work, she had tried working herself to death. She was avoiding him, mourning her mother and it wasn't like Cashmere would have said anything. Neither of them did. After they'd done it, they had just done their best to pretend that it hadn't happened and that was so easy once the others got back, they had more important things to think about than what they had just revealed to the _entire country_. Finnick opened his mouth and then closed it again, unsure of what to say. Her eyes narrowed, dangerously. "Finnick, what did you do?"

"Well… Plutarch said it might distract Snow, as you and the others tried to release his prisoners," said Finnick, softly. "I wasn't there, but I wanted to be able to do something, anything. It was a suicide mission, we all knew it. If we could help, then we would. Cashmere wasn't happy about it but… we had to do something, _we had try_."

Pain flashed across her face. "By doing that?" she said, thickly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just- I assumed you knew."

Clearly, he had been wrong. Kailani shook her head, and buried her face into his chest. She hated what Snow had done to him, had done to a lot of them and _not her_. It was unpleasant but for Finnick, it would have been worse if she'd been suffering too. Kailani often came to the Capitol with him, or was often there when he had to be, and seeing her at the end of it all had just made everything that little bit better. She knew what to say, even when he pretended he didn't need to hear it, _that he was fine_. But to find out that he'd told everyone about what he did. Obviously, it wasn't something Finnick was proud of and he could see on her face that it hurt her, him having to do that. "Cashmere was right to hit me," she murmured, finally.

Finnick rolled his eyes, ignoring as everyone else seemed to shift uncomfortably. It was hard to have a moment, when they also had an audience. "She hit you because you left her behind, not because of what she'd done afterwards," said Finnick, simply. At least, he was fairly certain that that was why she had done it.

She shook her head, "You shouldn't have agreed to it, you shouldn't have said anything." More than anything, Kailani just wanted him to be happy and he'd never wanted anyone to find out all of the dirty details of what he did. She'd always been there to assure him that no one would find out, that no one would talk because it had scared him once, the idea that everyone, with just one article, or one tell-all book, could know _everything_.

Finnick took her heated face in his hands, and made her look at him. "I do not regret talking about any of it. Not if it meant it gave you the time to get in and get out, _alive._"

"But Finnick-"

"No, stop it. I don't regret it, and I never will." Kailani's shoulders fell, her eyes shining in guilt and Finnick sighed. She still wasn't convinced, he could see that much. Nonetheless, it wasn't something to be dealt with now. Instead, he just held her, quietly.

Finally, Katniss cleared her throat. "I bet Snow would come outside for me," she said, bringing them back to the topic at hand. "If I were captured, he'd want that as public as possible, he's want my execution on the front steps." She paused, letting the words sink in. "Then, Gale could shoot him from the audience."

"No," said Peeta, shaking his head. "There are too many alternative endings to that plan, Snow might decide to keep you and torture information out of you. Or have you executed publicly without being present. Or kill you inside the mansion and display your body out front."

"He's right," said Finnick, "And if you're captured too easily, Snow might see it coming."

Katniss frowned, "Gale?"

"It seems like an extreme solution to jump to immediately," he said, "Maybe if all else fails. Let's keep thinking."

In the quiet that followed, they heard Tigris's soft footfall overhead. It must have been closing time and a few minutes later, the panel at the top of the stairs slid open. "Come up," said a gravelly voice. "I have some food for you."

Finnick and Kailani shared a long look, but didn't say anything else. They wanted too, but it wasn't the time. They would get their time, after this was all over. Hopefully. "Did you contact Plutarch, Tigris?" asked Cressida, as they climbed the stairs.

"No way to," said Tigris, with a shrug. "He'll figure out you're in a safe house, don't worry."

He didn't think any of them would be particularly worried, not about that. It was better that Plutarch didn't know where they were, if he didn't know then neither would Coin. They ate the food that Tigris provided, stale hunks of bread, a wedge of mouldy cheese and half a bottle of mustard, in a thoughtful silence. It was all a nice change from the canned food, at least. Finnick didn't fail to notice that Kailani ate very little though, perhaps she still felt sick. She ate _some_ though, and he'd take what little victories he could get. After supper, they descended back into their cellar and tried to think of some kind of plan. They couldn't go out as a group anymore, the Peacekeepers had figured out how many of them there would be, so that was out. The most they had managed to determine was that they wanted to try and infiltrate Snow's mansion before Katniss turned herself into bait. That was it, that was all they had figured out.

However, as worried as Finnick was, sleep came to him easily that evening. Yes, they had no idea what to do. Yes, they were in a fairly terrible situation. But he wasn't worried that Kailani would die this time. She was okay. She might have been hurt, but she was okay. She was curled in his arms, and really, that was all Finnick cared about at that moment. He could have worried about what the future held, but what was the point in that? He had Kailani, she clung to him tightly, they were safe for a little while, that was all that mattered. He'd worry about the rest of it tomorrow.

* * *

The rebels had made a lot of ground, due in part to the enterprising idea of using unmanned automobiles to detonate a majority of the pods. Of course, the Capitol soon realised what they were doing and simply found a way around it. Nevertheless, they had made good ground and weren't too far from their location. More and more refugees from the outskirts of the Capitol were being pushed inwards, forced to find whatever shelter they could. Peacekeepers were even knocking down doors and _making_ home owners provide room for these refugees. It was possible, that even Tigris' little shop would be utilised if they stayed any longer. And Katniss must have realised that, because she intended to leave the next morning. They couldn't leave together, it was too obvious, but they could leave in groups, blend in with the streams of refugees lined up in the streets outside. Their plan was to slip out in four groups. First, Cressida and Pollux, then Katniss and Gale, Kailani and Finnick, and finally, Peeta. Tigris helped them all get ready, making them all look exactly like everyone else though they had their uniforms on underneath, and weapons hidden expertly on their persons. It was time. Cressida and Pollux had already gone, and Katniss and Gale had left just a few minutes before. Now, it was time for Kailani and Finnick.

"Thank you, Tigris," said Kailani, sincerely, as Finnick winked at the former stylist. If not for her, they probably all would have been dead by now. She had sheltered them, she had fed them, she had _saved_ them. They wouldn't forget this, none of them would.

With Finnick glued to her side, they slipped outside and into the crowds of people, hungry and cold, with children crying. Kailani could just see the top of Katniss's head, plodding along with the crowd. They turned off the alley, and spilled out on to one of the main avenues. "Stay to the right!" A voice ordered, and Kailani could see Peacekeepers interspersed throughout the crowd, directing the flow of human traffic. Scared faces peered out of the glass windows of shops, already becoming overrun with refugees. At this rate, Tigris would have new houseguests by lunch. It was definitely a good thing that they'd gotten out when they did.

They moved slowly, all in the direction of the City Circle. That was where everyone was fleeing, were being forced to set up camp which worked out nicely for all of them. It meant that there was already a path for them to get to the centre of the city. And when they did, they would split away and make the attempt to infiltrate Snow's mansion. It wouldn't be easy, but it could be done. Kailani had helped rescued four high-priority prisoners from Snow's clutches. She had gotten in and out, _alive_. Taking down Snow would be no different. Of course, it was just as much of a risk. They'd been lucky before, they hadn't lost anyone but this time- well, they'd already lost some, and there was every chance they wouldn't make it out of here alive. It was a risk they had to take though. Kailani was prepared, she was pumping full of adrenaline and when she'd woken that morning, she hadn't felt too bad. She still had a slight fever but other than that, she was okay, more than okay in fact, she was ready to fight and to-

Gunfire ripped through the crowd, and several people nearby slumped to the ground. Finnick swore, and both of them dropped to the ground, taking cover behind a mailbox. Screams pierced through the air as a second round mowed down another group of people. Kailani peered out behind the mailbox, scanning the road. The dead littered the streets, mostly civilian. But it wasn't them they were aiming for, it was the white-uniformed Peacekeepers they were _trying _to hit. She caught glimpses of movement on the rooftops, and turned back to Finnick.

"Rebels," she breathed, starting to feel dizzy again. This couldn't happen now, _it couldn't_. "They've broken the containment line, entered this part of the city."

"Come on, this way," said Finnick, pulling her up. They kept low, as a pod was activated halfway down the street, and people screamed in pain. Kailani didn't look back. They ducked into a quiet side-street, where a number of refugees were huddled against the walls, trying to keep out of sight. With rebels in the city, the Capitol were manually setting off pods in an effort to take them out, even if it meant collateral damage. They didn't care for their people, they were just making a last-ditch effort to keep the power. It wouldn't hold though, Kailani knew that. "We should be able to go around this way, if Katniss's map was accurate."

"We have no idea where we're going."

"No, but as long as we stay to the quietest streets, away from all of the fighting, we should be okay. They'll be activating pods in the most congested areas because that's where the rebels will be too." She could still hear the screams, the gunshots. But Finnick was right, whatever path he'd taken, only Capitol citizens were on, hiding. Black spots appeared in her vision, and Kailani had to pause, blinking furiously in an effort to make them go away. "Kailani?"

She was going to say something, to try and soothe Finnick's concerns but before she could, someone else spoke. It was a voice both of them recognised. "Hurry up," she hissed. A woman turned the corner, accompanied by a much-larger man, and all of them froze. They might have been wearing as much make up and ridiculous clothing as they were, but all of them recognised each other. Cashmere gaped, "What the hell are you two doing here?"

Finnick raised an eyebrow, in amusement. "We could ask the same of you."

"Well, they weren't letting us fight were they, so we had to off on our own," said Cashmere, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "We were never going to sit back and simply look pretty like that bitch Coin wanted. I hate her, I really do."

"Calm down, sister," said Gloss, rolling his eyes. "Where's the rest of you?"

"Could be anywhere by now," said Kailani, shaking her head. Pain tore through her stomach, and she gasped, keeling over. Finnick steadied her, a panicked look on his face. Everything was blurring, and her hearing sounded fuzzy. Kailani felt sick, she wanted to throw up but she also couldn't breathe, and the _pain_, her body didn't know what was happening. Something was wrong, Kailani knew it wasn't just her arm anymore. It was something else, it had to be.

"What's wrong with her?" questioned Cashmere, through the haze of confusion. She sounded worried. They were all looking at her now, and Kailani only just realised that she was sitting on the ground.

Finnick shook his head, "I don't know, she-" A loud explosion rocked the city, and some of the refugees around them screamed. A child was crying nearby, and the sound filled Kailani's ears. Was it a boy or a girl? She couldn't tell.

"It came from the City Circle," stated Gloss. Kailani glanced at him, noting the frown on his face, as he pulled out a Holo. "We're not far, just a couple blocks away." He looked at her then, his eyes narrowed. "Can you make it?"

Kailani nodded, trying to drag herself to her feet. It was only Finnick, that helped her get there. "I'm fine, it'll pass." She waved a hand in front of her face, like a fan. "Is it just me, or did it just get warmer?"

"Kailani…" started Finnick.

But she shook her head, "Really-" The world spun, and Kailani could feel Finnick grip her tighter. He was saying something, but she couldn't tell what it was. Another explosion sounded, and Kailani saw fire and smoke fill the sky, before everything went dark.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N - Oh hey, last chapter. There's one epilogue after this and then that's it! That is so weird, I'm not used to actually finishing things! Nonetheless, thanks for everything! Xx**

**CHAPTER 15: **

"Has she spoken yet?" asked Gloss, from across the dinner table. Cashmere shook her head. No, the Mockingjay had not spoken yet.

The Capitol had dropped bombs on their own children, and when the rebel medical aid had gone to help, they too had been bombed. It had ended the war, the rebels taking the Capitol officially. But it had also been a massacre, with fire burning those that had been close. Katniss had been close, trying to reach her sister who had been killed along with the rest. Cashmere had seen when they'd brought her in, and Peeta too. Their skin looked like it had been melted off, it was a miracle they were still alive. But if the Capitol did have one thing, it was the ability to make people look pretty again. Physically, they would be alright. Mentally, she wasn't sure. She had lost her sister that day and since then, hadn't said a word. They'd repaired her skin as well as they could, but she would speak to no one. Not her mother, not Haymitch, not Johanna or Finnick, not anyone.

The thought of Finnick made her wince. With Kailani, he would seem like himself, he would hold her tight and try his best to make things normal. But for them, nothing would ever be normal again. Cashmere saw it whenever he was without her, saw as the walls would crumble until he noticed that someone else was watching, and he would force them back up. Kailani had collapsed that day, and they'd had no choice but to carry her to the City Circle, more in the hopes of finding her help than finding Snow. There was no help there though, not with the carnage that had unfolded. Maybe he thought that if they'd been faster, or if he had noticed something was off, that things could have been different but blaming themselves for what happened wouldn't have changed anything, it wouldn't bring their dead child back. All this time, Kailani had been pregnant. Everything had been so frantic, so crazy, that she hadn't noticed, none of them had. It wouldn't keep her, or Finnick, from blaming themselves though. If they'd known, Kailani wouldn't have fought, she would have stayed well away from this battle. They could have had a little baby to raise together. If Cashmere was imagining their life together, she hated to think what those two did, but _it wasn't their fault_. Yes, the miscarriage had been unfortunate, but Kailani had barely even been seven weeks pregnant, how could she have possibly known?

Cashmere sighed, looking over at her brother. "Have you seen Lani today?"

He shook his head, "No, but I saw Finnick though. The guy's a mess."

They all were. Haymitch was constantly drunk, while the rest of them had been sucked into the heavy cloud of depression that sat over this horrible place. The sooner Snow was dead and they were all allowed to leave the Capitol, the better. "Can you blame him?"

Gloss sighed, tiredly. "No."

It just wasn't fair. They didn't deserve this, Kailani and Finnick deserved to be happy, with a family _not _mourning the loss of their child. It had taken so long for them to get together, their relationship shouldn't have had to contend with this _on top of everything else_. It just- it wasn't fair. And she cried all the time, now. They'd all visited Kailani, and almost always, she wasn't in any state to _be_ visited. She cried and she cried, and even now she'd been released from the hospital, she still cried. Sometimes, Cashmere would hear her late at night, sobbing, as Finnick tried to comfort her. She still saw his face clearly as he'd come to them with the news. They'd had meetings with Coin but eventually they gathered in one of the rooms, Johanna had just arrived, and there still hadn't been any news on Kailani. It had been hours, and there was nothing. Then, Finnick had arrived. He was like a ghost, walking into that room. It was Katniss's mother that had found him wandering the halls, looking lost and had brought him to them. She left, and he had shuddered violently, as if trying his hardest to contain his sobs though they escaped him anyway. Cashmere thought that Kailani was dead. Johanna had burst forward, shaking him roughly until he could find words. Kailani wasn't dead, but _their child was_. None of them, had quite known how to respond to that. What could they say to that? Not one of them was the right person for that situation, the right people for something like that would have been Peeta, who had been burnt to a crisp, or Kailani, who was the one that had lost her baby. It was left to them, and none of them had known what to do. They still didn't.

"They're going to be okay though, right?" asked Cashmere, frowning.

Her brother didn't answer, because he didn't know. There was love there now, amongst all of the pain and grief but what if that changed? What if they became bitter and suddenly, they couldn't handle it anymore? With their luck, that seemed like something that would happen.

* * *

Katniss creeped down the hall, and the scent of roses filled her senses. For a moment she tensed, expecting an attack, expecting lizard like creatures to throw themselves at her and tear her apart. There were no mutts coming this time, though. She turned a corner, finding herself staring at two surprised guards. Not Peacekeepers, of course. There were no more Peacekeepers. But they weren't the trim, grey-uniformed soldiers from Thirteen either. These two, a man and a woman, wore the tattered, thrown-together clothes of actual rebels. When she moved to enter, their guns formed an X in front of her.

"You can't go in, miss," said the man.

"Soldier," the woman corrected him. "You can't go in, Soldier Everdeen, President's orders."

Katniss just stood there patiently, waiting for them to lower their guns, for them to _understand_. When she killed Snow, she needed to have a rose. She needed to place it in Snow's lapel, before she shot him. Why couldn't they understand that and let her in? But her presence seemed to worry the guards, because they were discussing calling Haymitch when a woman spoke up behind them. "Let her go in."

She knew that voice, but couldn't immediately place it. Katniss turned her head, coming face to face with Paylor, the Commander from Eight. She looked even more beat up then she did at the hospital, but who didn't?

"On my authority," said Paylor, "She has a right to anything behind that door." These were her soldier's, not Coin's. They dropped their weapons without question and let her pass.

At the end of a short hallway, Katniss pushed apart the glass doors and stepped inside. The roses were glorious, row after row of sumptuous blooms, in lush pink, sunset orange and even pale blue. She knew instantly, when she had found it, crowning the top of a slender bush. A magnificent white bud that had just started to open. Katniss had pulled her left sleeve over her hand, so that she didn't actually have to touch it, and was just about to use a pair or pruning shears to cut the rose, when _he_ spoke.

"That's a nice one." Her hand jerked; the shears snapped shut, severing the stem. "The colours are lovely, of course, but nothing says perfection like white."

Katniss still couldn't see him, but his voice seemed to rise up from an adjacent bed of red roses. Clutching the white one between her fingers, delicately, Katniss moved slowly around the corner and found him sitting against the wall. He was as well-groomed and finely dressed as ever, but weighted down with manacles, ankle shackles and tracking devices. In the bright light, his skin was a pale, sickly green, and he held a white handkerchief spotted with fresh blood. Even in his deteriorated state, his snake eyes shined bright and cold. "I was hoping you'd find your way to my quarters."

She thought they would have kept him secured in the deepest dungeon that the Capitol had to offer, not cradled in the lap of luxury. Yet, here he was. "There are so many things we should discuss, but I have a feeling your visit will be brief. So, first things first," began Snow. He began to cough, and when he removed the handkerchief from his mouth, it was even redder. "I wanted to tell you how very sorry I am about your sister."

Even in her deadened, drugged condition, it sent a stab of pain through Katniss. There were no limits to his cruelty, and she knew that he would go to his grave trying to destroy her. "So wasteful, so unnecessary," he continued, "Anyone could see the game was over by that point. In fact, I was just about to issue an official surrender when they released those parachutes." His eyes were glued on her, but what he said made no sense. When _they_ released the parachutes? "Well, you really didn't think I gave the order, did you? Forget the obvious fact that if I'd had a working hovercraft at my disposal, I'd have been using it to make an escape. But that aside, what purpose could it have served? We both know I'm not above killing children, but I'm not wasteful. I take life for very specific reasons. And there was no reason for me to destroy a pen full of Capitol children. None at all."

Katniss wondered if the next coughing fit was stated so that she had time to absorb his words. He was lying, he had to be lying. "However, I must concede it was a masterful move on Coin's part. The idea that I was bombing our own helpless children instantly snapped whatever frail allegiance my people still felt to me. There was no real resistance after that. Did you know it aired live? You can see Plutarch's hand there. And in the parachutes. Well, it's that sort of thinking that you look for in a Head Gamemaker, isn't it?" Snow dabbed the corners of his mouth. "I'm sure he wasn't gunning for your, sister, but these things happen." Katniss wasn't with Snow now, she was in Special Weaponry in Thirteen, with Gale and Beetee. She was looking at designs for new weapons to use against the Capitol, designs based on Gale's traps. They played on human sympathies. The first bomb killed the victims. The second, the rescuers.

"My failure," said Snow, "Was being so slow to grasp Coin's plan. To let the Capitol and districts destroy one another, and then step in to take power with Thirteen barely scratched. Make no mistake, she was intending to take my place right from the beginning. I shouldn't be surprised. After all, it was Thirteen that started the rebellion that led to the Dark Days, and then abandoned the rest of the districts when the tide turned against it. But I wasn't watching Coin, I was watching you, Mockingjay. And you were watching me. I'm afraid we have both been played for fools."

"I don't believe you," said Katniss, uttering her first words since her sister's death.

Snow shook his head in mock disappointment. "Oh, my dear Miss Everdeen. I thought we had agreed not to lie to each other."

* * *

Kailani felt empty. There was an emptiness inside of her that she wasn't sure she would ever be able to fill. She felt the tears fill her eyes again, and Finnick whispering comforts to her, but she felt like there was a wall between them, and she could hear none of it. How could he comfort her? Kailani didn't deserve to be comforted, she had let their baby die. Had it been a boy or a girl, they would never know. She was supposed to be its mother, to protect her child from anything and everything and she'd failed at that. Finnick shouldn't have been anywhere near her, she didn't deserve him. Sobs tore themselves from her throat, and he pulled her against him, rocking her slowly.

She should have _known._ How did she not know? It hadn't just been back at camp that she'd been feeling sick, but at Thirteen too. Kailani should have gone to a doctor, should have done something but she had just brushed it off like it was nothing. It wasn't nothing. It was their baby, their tiny, little child telling her that it was there. And she had ignored it. Him, her, she would never know because she hadn't even been able to give it the chance to grow that much. It hurt, everything hurt. Kailani just wanted the pain to go away, for it to stop. But it would never stop, she knew that. They could have had a child, they could have raised him or her next to the beach, taught them to swim, to catch fish and now, that child would never get a chance to live.

"Kailani, please," begged Finnick, his voice hoarse. She looked at him, at his beautiful sea-green eyes, shining with tears. Their child could have had those eyes. "There was nothing you could do, you didn't _know_."

But she _should_ have known, that was the thing.

Kailani couldn't believe it when they'd told her, in a gentle voice, that she'd been pregnant. For a brief moment, she had been shocked and then the realisation had set in. Miscarriage, they said. After that, she was barely even aware of what else they had said, she'd just broken down. She was inconsolable and then Kailani had seen Finnick, and she had cried even harder. It was _their_ child, she had lost _their_ child. Gale had come to seen them once, guilt written all over his face. It was his explosive arrow that had knocked her back, he blamed himself but it wasn't him, it was her, _she should have known_.

"You don't have to stay with me," she murmured, eventually, once her sobs had died down and she could speak. Their room was dark, as everything was these days. A dark hole that Kailani couldn't find the exit from, a suffocating blackness that held onto her and wouldn't let her go. "You shouldn't even want to stay with me-" Kailani whimpered, unable to control herself. Suddenly, Finnick pulled back. Even in the dark, she could see the frown on his face as he looked down at her.

"What are you talking about?"

"This is all my fault," choked Kailani. Surely he could see that, surely he should have been blaming her. "If I had just known, the baby wouldn't have-" The tears were coming again, she didn't even know that a human _could_ cry this much. "Finnick this is my fault, you must feel the same, you don't need to stay here. Really, I understand. You don't need to feel obligated to stay, I don't deserve that-"

"_Don't_-" The words were almost a growl, and even in the dark, Kailani could see the anger in his gaze. He took a deep breath, and his voice softened. "Don't talk like that, Lani. I know it hurts, I know it feels like the world is against us, and it doesn't want us to win but… you know I don't blame you for any of this, I could never blame you because _it's not your fault_." Finnick leaned down, resting his forehead against hers, tenderly. "Kailani, I love you. I love you more than anything, that hasn't changed, that _won't_ change. I'm not leaving you, I will never leave you as long as you let me."

Kailani was crying again. "Finnick…"

"Not your fault, it's not your fault, please don't blame yourself," he whispered, kissing her softly. Finnick said it over and over again, refusing to let up. There was a little light in the darkness that surrounded them now, just a little one, a little glimmer. Love, his love. "Don't let _him_ destroy us, Lani. We can mourn the child that _he killed_, until the end of our days, but don't let him win this final battle, don't let him break us. We've made it this far, don't give up on me because I'm not going to leave you behind. Together, remember?"

With tears streaming down her face, Kailani gave a small nod. "Together," she whispered.

* * *

Gloss didn't know what they were all doing there, the last surviving victors. There were only eleven of them left now, the rest had been killed during the fighting. Whether it was by the Peacekeepers for instigating a rebellion, or by the rebels for siding with the Capitol, most of them hadn't made it through. They were all that was left. This broken group of individuals, alive, but only barely. There was just one person missing, though he expected she'd be here soon enough.

"What's this?" asked Katniss, looking around the room as she opened the door. Her skin was a new pink colour, yet to settle. Though, she looked much better than she had before. It had been hard to even recognise her _before_. And she was talking again, clearly. Gloss wondered how long that had been going on.

"We're not sure," Haymitch answered. "It appears to be a gathering of the remaining victors."

"We're all that's left?"

"The price of celebrity," said Beetee, calmly. "We were targeted from both sides. The Capitol killed the victors they suspected of being rebels. The rebels killed those thought to be allied with the Capitol."

Johanna scowled at Enobaria, "So what's she doing here?"

"_She_ is protected under what we call the Mockingjay Deal," said Coin, as she too entered the room. Her grey hair was pulled back into a neat bun, looking as prim and proper as ever. Gloss tried not to scowl at her too openly. He hadn't appreciated her attempts to keep all of them from the actual fight. It wasn't for lack of ability, they were all better than her soldiers, she just didn't want them involved. "Wherein Katniss Everdeen agreed to support the rebels in exchange for captured victors' immunity. Katniss has upheld her side of the bargain, and so shall we."

Enobaria smiled at Johanna. If she wasn't careful, she'd start a fight right there in the conference room. Those two would go at it, and they wouldn't be nice about it either. It would be brutal, and dirty probably. Recovering or not, Gloss would put his money on Johanna. "Don't look so smug," she said, her eyes narrowed, "We'll kill you anyway."

"Sit down, please, Katniss," said Coin, closing the door. The Mockingjay took a seat between Annie and Beetee, carefully placing a white rose on the table. "I've asked you here to settle a debate. Today, we will execute Snow. In the previous weeks, hundreds of his accomplices in the oppression of Panem have been tried and now await their own deaths. However, the suffering in the districts has been so extreme that these measures appear insufficient to the victims. In fact, many are calling for a complete annihilation of those who held Capitol citizenry. However, in the interest of maintaining a sustainable population, we cannot afford this. So, an alternative has been placed on the table. Since my colleagues and I can come to no consensus, it has been agreed that we will let the victors decide. A majority of six will approve the plan. No one may abstain from the vote." She paused, "What has been proposed is that in lieu of eliminating the entire Capitol population, we have a final, symbolic Hunger Games using the children directly related to those who held the most power."

All eleven of them, turned to her. "What?" said Johanna.

"We hold another Hunger Games using Capitol children," repeated Coin. Gloss looked around the table, he could see the shock reflected on everyone's faces. All of the blood had drained from Kailani's thin face, the circles under her reddened eyes looking more pronounced. Finnick had a pained look on his face, while Johanna looked thoughtful. His sister was unreadable, but she always was.

"Are you joking?" asked Peeta.

"No, I should also tell you that if we do hold the Games, it will be known it was done by your approval, although the individual breakdown of your votes will be kept secret for your own security."

"Was this Plutarch's idea?" asked Haymitch.

"It was mine," said Coin. "It seemed to balance the need for vengeance with the least loss of life. You may cast your votes."

"No!" burst out Peeta. "I vote no, of course! We can't have another Hunger Games!"

"Why not?" retorted Johanna, "It seems very fair to me. Snow even had a granddaughter, I vote yes."

"So do I," said Enobaria, almost indifferently. "Let them have a taste of their own medicine."

"They're children!" yelled Kailani, suddenly. Her hands shook and tears gathered in her eyes. "They can't help what happened, they couldn't have stopped anything, they didn't fight, they are innocent of all this! No, absolutely not." There was pain in her voice, as she spoke. "I don't want to see any more children dead."

"No," agreed Finnick, quietly.

Cashmere shrugged, "We weren't responsible for the Dark Days either, and yet we suffered. Maybe it's a good idea, I vote yes. Gloss?"

"I agree, _yes_," he said, simply. Kailani looked at him, and he tried not to feel guilty. She looked so betrayed, so hurt, but Finnick drew her in and she turned away. He supposed he wasn't surprised that she felt that way, given what they'd lost.

Annie shook her head, then. "No," she said, "I vote no. It's not fair, not on them."

"No," said Beetee, firmly. "It would set a bad precedent. We have to stop viewing one another as enemies. At this point, unity is essential for our survival. _No_."

"We're down to Katniss and Haymitch," said Coin.

She seemed to weigh her options carefully, thinking it over. "I vote yes…" said Katniss, finally. "For Prim."

"Haymitch, it's up to you."

Peeta launched into the atrocity he could be committing, though the rest of them stayed silent. Gloss doubted his arguments would do much good. He knew the kind of man that Haymitch was, he would vote for this, without a doubt. "I'm with the Mockingjay," said Haymitch, as expected.

"Excellent, that carries the vote," said Coin. "Now we really must take our places for the execution."

They all moved to leave, quietly shuffling out the door, a cloud of disapproval and disappointment hovering over them from the half that had refused the proposition. Kailani was tearfully glaring at all of them, her arms wrapped around her waist. But this wasn't about her, or her child. Gloss wanted vengeance for what Snow had done to them, all of them, including her and her child. This might not have been what she wanted, but it was what had to happen, it was only fair.

Johanna rolled her eyes, as she met Kailani's gaze. "Don't look at me like that," she said, unconcerned. "Aren't you happy? Finally, Snow is going to die! I'm happy, I've been looking forward to this for a long time."

Kailani shook her head, her eyes dark with pain. "I'm not happy," was all she said, before pushing past all of them and storming off.

Finnick's jaw clenched and unclenched, "Was that really necessary?" he ground out. Both of them were difficult to deal with at the moment, but Johanna didn't seem bothered. She was acting like she always did, the only difference was neither of them were equipped to handle it at that point. They were hurting too much, struggling with too many emotions, to be able to handle it.

"You know she didn't mean to," said Gloss, calmly.

"I know that!" yelled Finnick, causing the others to look at him. He frowned, and without another word, walked off after Kailani.

Johanna shook her head, "You would think this would cheer them up." But she knew, as well as the rest of them did, that it would take a hell of a lot more than that, to cheer Finnick and Kailani up.

* * *

Katniss stepped out to the deafening roar of the crowd. She was in her Mockingjay suit, of course she was. As it always did, the whole thing had to be made into a show. That was the work of Plutarch, she expected. Guards marched a frail-looking Snow out the door, and Kailani could feel the hate flare within her. It broke through the grief, through the guilt, through everything. This was the man that had forced them into the Games, that had prostituted Finnick and killed her mother. This was the man that had forced them into this war, that had thrown her and Finnick, Johanna, Gloss, Cashmere, Katniss, Peeta, all of them back into the Games for a second time. This was the man that was as much responsible for the death of her baby, as Kailani herself was. She hated him and finally, they would see him dead. But Johanna was wrong, it didn't make her feel happy, the only thing she would feel was relief. The audience went insane at the sight of him, knowing that he was walking to his death, that the man that had made their lives hell, was about to die. This was what they wanted to see, what they all wanted to see. They secured his hands behind a post, more for show than anything else since he wasn't escaping anywhere. Katniss looked calm as she reached back and grasped an arrow, positioning it. And Snow, he didn't look scared, just faintly amused. Then, she pointed the bow upwards slightly. Katniss released and instead of hitting Snow, she hit President Coin. Her body slumped over the balcony and plunged to the ground with a loud thud.

In an instant, chaos erupted.

Snow was laughing, soldiers were swarming towards Katniss, she was reaching towards the nightlock table and then, Peeta was there, stopping her. Kailani was vaguely aware of Johanna cackling in amusement, relishing in all of this. While she, she didn't know what to think. Coin was dead, but Katniss must have had a reason. Snow was unmoving on the ground, probably dead, he'd been dying anyway as Katniss was dragged away, screaming and thrashing. She looked insane, like she'd lost her mind. But, Kailani didn't think it would all be that simple.

There was a flurry of orders after that, as Commander Paylor was voted in to be President. Maybe Katniss had done them all a favour. Coin was like Snow in a way, she had her own agendas but Paylor, she was someone that could be trusted, she was the type of person that they needed to lead Panem. Another Snow, was the last thing they had needed. It didn't matter now anyway though, both were dead. Paylor was quick to scrap the idea of another Hunger Games, as a trial for Katniss Everdeen was thrown together. None of them knew what her reasons were, but all of them were fairly confident that it had to have been something. She might have been rash, she might have had a fair amount of attitude and a questionable mental state, but Katniss always had a reason. When called to give evidence, Kailani didn't hesitate in wording her statement carefully to favour the girl. As far as she was aware, most of the victors did. It was from Beetee that the clear reason for Katniss's choice, was deciphered. He mentioned to Finnick, that Katniss had reason to suspect the bombs had in fact come from Coin's orders. If they did, he hadn't been made aware of it. It was impossible to be a hundred percent sure but Kailani wouldn't have put it past her. To win this war, she would have done anything. In the end, it was decided that Katniss would be acquitted and allowed to return home, to what was left of Twelve.

In fact, decided Paylor, it was about time all of them, were allowed to return home.

_Finally. _

* * *

The five of them sat on the train, listening as it travelled along the tracks, out from the Capitol. Finnick, Kailani, Gloss, Cashmere and Johanna. The five of them, silent, lost in their own thoughts. Paylor had organised for them to leave as soon as they were ready. Enobaria had gone before them, as had Annie, Beetee and Gale. Katniss would leave with Haymitch to go home a little later, with Peeta remaining in the Capitol until they deemed him safe enough. Finally, they could try and regain some kind of a normal life.

Finnick glanced across at Kailani, the melancholy look on her face as she stared out the window. The tears had dried up about a week ago, though every now and again she would break down, or she would wake from a nightmare sobbing. Finnick felt like they were starting all over again but he didn't care, as long as he still had her. A cruel, bitter part of him reminded Finnick that he could have had her, and a little baby to look after, but he pushed it away before his grief swallowed him up. Yes, they could have had a baby and they would mourn the loss but, nothing they did could change what had happened. It was something he and Kailani were slowly beginning to accept, though it didn't make it hurt any less. Finnick closed his eyes, trying to push the thoughts from his mind. They were finally going home, that was what he should have been focusing on. They would be able to see the ocean, smell the salt on the air, the sand beneath their feet.

_Home_.

"You guys don't hold it against us, the way we voted, do you?" asked Johanna, suddenly. Her face was impassive, as if she wanted to prove she didn't care about the answer, whatever it was. They hadn't really spoken about it, not that there had been much time.

Kailani looked away from the window, turning to face Johanna. "No," she said, simply. "We don't hold it against you, any of you."

Cashmere raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure about that?"

"If I was angry, it wasn't at any of you." Her voice was quiet, and Finnick flicked her a look. Kailani still blamed herself, still thought she should have known she was pregnant, or somehow protected the child she didn't know was there. That wouldn't go away anytime soon, no matter what Finnick said. But he would remind her every day if he had too, that this wasn't her fault. He didn't blame her, and neither would their unborn child have.

"You all had a right to vote," added Finnick, with a careless wave of his hand. "Don't even worry about it."

"I wasn't worried," said Johanna, immediately and he grinned. It was easy to fall back into his usual antics, it was familiar and above all else, a good way to hide the pain he really felt.

"Sure you weren't."

Johanna rolled her eyes, as an announcement rang through the carriage. They were almost at their first stop, at District One. Cashmere almost looked nervous, as she and her brother got to their feet. "Well," she said, "I guess this is us." Without a word, Kailani got up to hug her, before forcing Johanna to do the same. Finnick and Gloss shook hands, before Kailani turned to hug him as well and Johanna winked.

"See you around, Glossy," she said.

"Sure thing, Jojo," he replied, smoothly and her grin, turned to a scowl.

"Annoying bastard," she muttered, under her breath as she sat down. Gloss laughed loudly, and Cashmere grinned. However, her eyes fell on Kailani, and her face turned serious.

"Kailani?"

"Yes?" she said, gently.

Cashmere swallowed, thickly. There were actual tears, gathering in her eyes and even Johanna looked surprised. "Thanks for taking a risk on us," she said, finally. "If not for what you did, we probably wouldn't be here. We owe you our lives. So, thank you."

Kailani gave a small smile. "I'd do it again and again."

"We know you would," said Gloss, fondly. He looked at Finnick, "You keep an eye on her."

Finnick nodded, "Always."

"And don't forget to send us an invite when you two get married," said Cashmere, coyly. Johanna choked back a laugh, as Finnick found himself spluttering.

"Cashmere! W-what, I haven't even-" Kailani smiled in amusement, as Gloss gave a small salute, and he and his sister disembarked the train. The whistle sounded, and Finnick sat down. He was just going to pretend that had never happened, _he hadn't even proposed yet_. He hadn't even thought about proposing though now suddenly, it was all he could think about. His heart raced, and Kailani patted his leg, calmly.

Their stop was the next stop, and it was almost surreal how close they were to home. It was both exciting and terrifying. What if it was completely different? How much had District Four suffered in the war, Finnick didn't really know. He wasn't sure he was completely prepared but too soon, did he and Kailani find themselves getting to their feet, getting ready to leave. Johanna shrugged, moving to hug them both with a sincerity they were unused too from her. Johanna didn't do hugs often but when she did, she meant them. "Don't be strangers," she said.

"Course not," said Finnick, kissing her lightly on the side of her head. Johanna rolled her eyes at him, but seemed pleased nonetheless.

"And if Cash and Glossy get wedding invites, I expect one too, on _really_ fancy paper."

"Johanna," groaned Kailani, half-heartedly. She just grinned, in amusement at their discomfort. Oh, they intended to spend the rest of their lives together but they'd never discussed _marriage_, exactly. It hadn't seemed important, until now.

"Go on," she said, "Get out of here, both of you."

The familiar scent of sea salt hit him straight away, as he stepped out of the train. Kailani made a small noise next to him, and Finnick wrapped an arm around her shoulders. There had been some serious structural damage to some of the buildings, but the people were still there. Some of them were crying, were grinning and waving as they looked at them. These were people they had known their entire lives, that they'd grown up with. No doubt, some had lost their lives but the District continued to survive. It was here, standing, _rebuilding_.

"Finnick…" said Kailani, thickly.

He nodded, "I know."

If he listened carefully, he could hear the ocean breaking against the sand. A constant, in all of this mess.

"_We're home_."

* * *

**A/N - Given who didn't die, I obviously had to make some sacrifices. Yeah, not everything can be happy but anyway hope you enjoyed! The epilogue should be posted soon, probably by the end of the week. **


	28. Chapter 28

**EPILOGUE:**

She looked radiant in white. Kailani looked radiant in anything but right now, nothing compared. She was beautiful, stunning, Finnick couldn't think of enough words to describe her at that moment.

The sun was setting, and a light sea-breeze danced through her hair. It was perfect, everything was perfect. He'd been terrified to ask her to marry him, he really had. Finnick had planned every detail, but so much had happened, they'd been through so much, and lost so much, that when it actually came to having to ask her to spend the rest of their lives together, Finnick had found it difficult to speak. It was just- a part of him wasn't sure they would ever get there, and suddenly, they _were_ there, and he didn't know what to say, even if he had planned for it.

The only thing that really mattered though, was that she'd said yes.

It had been a little over a year since they'd come home, since the war had been won, and Coin had been killed. A little over a year since they had lost their baby, and had to mourn that loss. If Finnick were being honest, it still wasn't something that they had quite come to terms with. He knew Kailani still blamed herself, she probably always would but, it had gotten a little easier. Not much, but a little bit. They'd survived though, they were still there, _together_. And now, they were making it official. It was a long time coming, Finnick knew that. But finally, _finally_, it was happening.

It was only a small ceremony, just their closest friends all standing on the beach with them. Johanna stood next to Gloss, an arm linked through his. She was grinning, he had a small smirk on his face. Cashmere was there too of course, her smile wide. Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch, Gale, Beetee, Cressida, Pollux, were all there as well. Their friends, the people they had fought alongside with and survived with. The people that had kept them alive, even when it might have been the last thing that Finnick and Kailani had wanted to do. The people that had put up with their denial for so many years, and somehow managed not to lose their minds. The only people that Finnick would have wanted to be here to see this.

Kailani was close now, taking slow steps across the sand, her brown eyes shining. Finnick couldn't get over how beautiful she looked. She didn't wear anything extreme, just a simple, white wedding dress, and a crown of white flowers upon her head. Yet, it didn't fail to take his breath away. It looked amazing, _she_ looked amazing. Finnick felt like he couldn't breathe, or maybe he had forgotten. _He just couldn't believe that this day had come, that he was marrying the woman he loved._

Kailani reached his side, her face glowing. He wanted to say something, anything, but again, Finnick found himself speechless. He would never, ever forget this day. He would never forget how she looked right at that moment, how beautiful she was. This woman, this amazing woman was about to become his wife.

She leaned over, her lips by his ear. "Finnick," she whispered, and he swallowed, thickly. "I have to tell you something."

Panic flared inside of him, just for a moment. He was nervous, it was getting the better of him but he knew he didn't have to worry, he only had to look at her to know that. Finnick smiled at her, fondly. "Right now?" he said, amused.

The look on her face remained the same, and though they had a waiting audience, she didn't seem to care. Kailani took his hand, moving it to rest on her stomach. Tears pricked at her eyes, a mixture of hope and grief shining within them. His breath caught, and she gave him a watery smile. "I'm pregnant."

He had thought the day was perfect before, but he was wrong. _Now_, it was perfect, it couldn't have been any more perfect. His eyes fell to her stomach. There was life growing inside there, life that _they_ had created together. Finnick could feel the tears that had gathered in his eyes, the sudden tightness in his throat. He didn't care that they weren't married yet, that it wasn't the time, he bent down and kissed her, pulling her close. "Hey! You only needed to wait five more minutes!" yelled Johanna, and Finnick laughed.

"Are you happy?" whispered Kailani, nervously. She shouldn't have needed to ask, but Finnick could see how overwhelmed she was. They wanted this, but it had already been stolen from them once. This might have been a time of peace, but a small part of Kailani was still scared.

Finnick rested a hand on her cheek, calmly. "I have never been happier," he said, simply. It was the truth. Never, in his life, had Finnick felt this much happiness. Kailani would soon be his wife, they were starting a family together. "This is everything I wanted and more. I love you, Kailani."

She beamed, "I love you too."

"So, should we get married, or…?"

Kailani rolled her eyes, hitting him lightly on the shoulder. "Finnick!"

He smiled, linking her arm with his as they turned to face their officiator. The smile was still on his face as he spoke, it wouldn't be wiped off easily. "We're ready."

The old Captain of the _Sea Princess, _looked upon them, with a warmness that Finnick could only attribute with home. He'd known them a long time, since they were children, and he'd been so honoured that they'd asked him to do the ceremony, that he hadn't been able to give them an answer for a full day. "If you're sure," he said, gruffly. The old man cleared his throat, and without a word, he and Kailani crouched down slightly so that he could place the net weaved intricately with sea grass, over them. "We're gathered here today to see the _long awaited-"_

"You're damn right it's long awaited," muttered Johanna, and Kailani glanced at Finnick, her eyes sparkling.

"The long awaited, union of Finnick Odair and Kailani Allyn, in marriage." The Captain handed them a woven bowl filled with salt water, as he launched into the traditional ballad of marriage. They'd heard it time and time again, how marriage was like a sea voyage, how there would always be good times and bad times, but hearing it now, was completely different. It was about them now, this was their life, their _voyage_. Finnick stared into Kailani's eyes, letting the words of the ballad wash over him.

"Kailani, are you ready to undertake this journey?"

She nodded, her eyes never leaving his. "I am." Finnick could feel his heart racing, as she guided the bowl to her lips, and took a small sip.

"Finnick, are you ready to undertake this journey?"

"Yes," he breathed, "Always yes." He brought the bowl to his lips, and took a small drink of the salt water.

"Then, with the power vested in me, and the blessings given, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Finnick didn't need to look, to hear the smile that adorned his aged face. "You may seal this union with a kiss."

Finnick grinned, and quickly pulled Kailani in to press his lips against her. He could taste the salt, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Kailani was _his wife_. This wasn't a dream, it had happened. He heard their friends applauding, _whistling _and with a smile, Kailani pulled back. She was crying but then again, so was he.

"I love you," said Finnick, again. He moved a hand so that it rested on her stomach, "I love _both_ of you."

She made a choked noise, one that said so much. "We love you too."

**A/N - And that's it! I can't believe I honestly finished a thing. Thanks for all the support, I hope you enjoyed it! There won't be a sequel although I did consider a set of prequel one-shots, that won't necessarily happen though, so don't get too excited. If I decide anything, I'll update here to let you all know. In the meantime, again, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST. Xx**


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